The Ice Queen
by Kittynicula
Summary: So, this is a back story on how the Ice Queen came to be. This is my own creation and I do not own the Adventure Time Series in any way. Note: This had originally been a part of my Adventures of Fionna and Cake story. I felt that this was not relevant to that series though and made the Ice Queen a story of its own. I hope you enjoy it!
1. Want for Naught

The Ice Kingdom. A land of everlasting cold and completely carved out of ice. It was a kingdom known for its fragile beauty and the ethereal occupants within. The King and Queen ruled over their subjects with a firm hand, but they were loved dearly for their kindness. However, a sadness swept over the land when, as the King and Queen grew older, there was no heir to take their place. The Queen, as she aged, became very frail. It became clear that if they ever succeeded at conceiving a child she would die giving birth. Nonetheless, the Kingdom rejoiced when the Queen was going to have not one, but two children.

The lovely twins were born, a boy and a girl. The eldest, the boy, was given the name Luke, and the girl was named Isis. Their births brought great joy because they became the future of the Ice Kingdom. However, their joy soon died when the subjects learned their Queen had died. The King mourned for many years, but gave the love he could no longer give to his wife to his two budding children.

Luke and Isis, like normal siblings, rarely got along, and the tension became even worse as Luke's coronation drew near.

"I don't understand, Daddy! Why does Luke get to become King? Why can't I be Queen?" The King gave an exasperated sigh. Isis had demanded the answer to this question time and time again, but her question had always been pushed aside to a later date. Her father had refused to answer her question, but this time she was adamant. She would not back down today. He gave her a long hard look before walking over, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her to the seat in front of her vanity mirror. Isis sat down gracefully, at her own pace, as her father began to brush her hair.

"You have such beautiful hair," her father's voice was soft, filled with sorrow, his eyes far away as he saw someone else in Isis's place. "Just like your mother's. You know—"

"Daddy! Stop trying to change the subject!" Isis whirled to face him, her pale blue eyes like fire as she glared at him. "Why can't I become Queen!?" She was five seconds away from snatching the brush away from him and throwing it across the room. He always did this! He tried to guilt her from continuing her tantrums, but not today.

The King looked down at her, his eyes sad. She rarely saw a lively spark in them. The servants told her stories about how her dad used to laugh and dance when their mother was alive. Isis wished she had gotten a chance to know that man. She knew he was trying to love her and Luke, but it seemed like, no matter what they did, they could never compete with their mother. "Daddy…please tell me. You can't act like I'm not old enough now, I'm almost nineteen! You tell Luke everything! It's just not—" He placed a soft finger against her lips, silencing the fiery princess.

"You are quite right, my little snowflake. You are old enough." That didn't stop the hesitance in his stature. Isis, her goal finally in sight, couldn't sit still in her excitement. Finally! She could be in the loop! She didn't even notice her father's reluctance. If she had, she would have known that she was not going to like the answer. It was the only time her father hesitated in anything. He did not like to cause strife, especially if it meant angering his one and only daughter…who had a tendency to explode. He gently grasped her head and turned Isis's face to the mirror before resuming his task. Isis closed her eyes as her father brushed her hair. It was so soothing, and very distracting.

"Dad…" Another sigh from behind her.

"Fine, fine. Isis, you cannot be Queen because you are younger than your brother." Isis grew very still. She could detect that there was more, something that he was not telling her. Obviously, this had been the easiest thing to tell her, especially since it was something she already knew.

"And?" She pressed, her voice low as she opened her eyes to stare at her father. The King continued to brush her hair studiously, avoiding eye contact as he worked on a stubborn tangle in her hair.

"…And, now remember Snowflake, this is only tradition, but it is because you are female as well." Isis jerked away from her father, the movement strong enough to cause the chair to topple at their feet. She whirled around to face her father, her face filled with undeniable fury.

"Because I'm a girl!? I knew it! That is so incredibly sexist! I can't believe I couldn't rule because of that! I mean, what if Luke died? What then? Hmmm!?" The King looked incredibly uncomfortable. It took all her effort not to sneer at her father. He was weak, unable to stand up to his own daughter.

"Well…you would become Queen." A spark of intrigue alighted inside her. So there was a way for her to become Queen? She was so fascinated by this tidbit of information that she failed to hear the 'but' in his voice. "But you would have to be betrothed to another. You would not be allowed to rule alone. I'm sorry, princess…" Isis scoffed and turned away from her father.

"Don't remind me. Luke gets to become King and I'm stuck with nothing." Her voice was bitter as she placed her hands on her vanity mirror. Her father placed a delicate hand on her shoulder. The old man was so frail, no wonder he had to give up his throne so quickly to the next available heir. Isis was again reminded that she could become Queen. It only took a little bit of effort…

"You will not have nothing, Isis. Do not be so gloomy. You will find love one day and rule over another kingdom."

"But I want to rule this one!" Isis persisted, but all she got was another pat on the shoulder. Her father kissed the top of her head before leaving her room. Obviously, what she wanted could not be helped. Isis lifted her head to stare at her reflection. Her light blue eyes were no longer so stormy, just resigned. Snow white hair framed her face in a glowing halo. She touched her face with a pale hand. Even if she could become Queen, maybe no one would ever want her. She was so plain. Average. Nothing extraordinary about her at all.

"Awww, are you fretting over a pimple again?" A voice mocked from behind her that sent Isis whirling. Her eyes widened and she dodged the glint of metal that sliced into the wood where she had been standing only seconds before.

"Luke!" Isis shrieked, her eyes still wide. He had tried to kill her! Her brother laughed at the expression on her face.

"Oh calm down! I had the edges of the sword blunted!"

"But you swung at my head!" Her brother cocked an eyebrow at her, failing to see the obvious logic behind her distress. "You still could have killed me you idiot! You would have crushed my skull if I hadn't moved!" Her brother just shrugged and Isis fumed. They were giving the throne to this immature brat? He couldn't even comprehend the simplest consequences of his actions!

Luke laughed again and yanked the blade out of the wood. Isis whimpered softly. That had been their mother's vanity mirror. It was ruined now and the brute didn't even care. He held the blade casually, letting it rest against his shoulder. "So what has you so upset?"

"None of your business." Was the snooty reply he got from her. It never failed, Luke always came to kick her when she was down. It was moments like these that she really thought she could kill him. An image of smashing in his skull with her heel filled Isis's head, but she quickly shook it out. Luke might deserve a lot of things, but death wasn't one of them. "What do you want?" Luke looked puzzled. "Well you came up here for a reason, didn't you?" A light seemed to go off in his head. Isis resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, did people not notice that her brother was not the sharpest arrow in the quiver?

"Right! The stable boy wanted to see you. Something about your stupid horse." Isis froze and then dashed out of the room without another word. She was going to hurt Luke if her horse had been dying the entire time he had wasted talking to her. She ran through the hallways, blowing past various servants, even her teacher. "Sorry!" She called out over her shoulder to anyone she happened to run in to. It took too long for her to get outside, to leap over the fence that separated the castle from the stables, to fling the barn doors open. Her eyes fell on her prized mare, a beautiful black creature with the kindest brown eyes she had ever seen, perfectly safe and unharmed. Relief flooded through her as she rushed to her horse.

"Oh Skye! What would I have ever done without you!? I would have been left alone in this place filled with nothing but idiots and—"

"Now I hope you don't include me when you mean 'idiots.'" Isis, startled, looked past her horse to see a familiar pair of twinkling purple eyes staring at her. A tinge of heat graced her cheeks as she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Uh, um, of course not Gumball! You're my only friend here!" The stable boy grinned and gave her a playful nudge.

"That's what I thought. As you can see, nothing's wrong with Skye, but saying something is wrong with Skye is the only way I can make you remember my existence." Isis blushed even harder. Gumball grinned before turning away, pretending not to notice her furious blushing. For this, Isis was grateful. Gumball was always so considerate and…he understood that they could never be together. She was of royal blood, and he was just a poor stable boy her mother and father had found in a ditch when he was only a baby. Sometimes, when she was daydreaming, she would wish with all her heart that things could be different. It would save her so much heartache and cross one problem off her list.

"So, I was wondering," Gumball began a little uncertainly as he messed with some of the tools in the barn, "how the suitor search was coming." Isis stopped stroking Skye's mane and looked over at Gumball. Anyone else looking would have thought he didn't care at all that her father was looking for suitable suitors for her hand, but Isis knew better. She could see the tense set of his shoulders and hear the forced cheerfulness in his tone. Isis's gaze softened as she watched him, resisting the urge to walk over and convince him that he had nothing to worry about. She was not interested in any other man.

"It goes…my father has really brought in some weirdos." Isis shuddered at the memory of her most recent suitor. He had been from the Candy Kingdom and was the last thing from attractive. It was a shame really. If he had cleaned up a bit, Isis was sure he would look appealing. He actually kind of looked familiar. Pushing the thought aside, Isis finally walked over and placed a hesitant hand on Gumball's arm. The stable boy stiffened and she quickly withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to…"

Gumball turned around, his eyes sad. He reached for her hand and cupped it in his own, his eyes lowered. "I know, but I don't want to make this any harder than it is." Isis's heart ached. She had crossed the line this time; it was plain on his grief-stricken face. The princess withdrew her hand and slowly turned away.

"I'm sorry." Isis repeated before leaving the barn, the visit cut short. Mentally kicking herself, Isis rubbed her hand across her face. How could she be so stupid? What had she been hoping to accomplish? They could never be together. Ever. The sooner she got that out of her head, the sooner she would stop pining after him. Feeling a gentle hand on her arm, Isis looked over her shoulder to see Gumball. Her heart started to beat faster from the look he held in his eyes.

"What is it—" She was silenced by a kiss. He kissed her with a desperate need that surprised her, but before she could even respond the kiss was over.

"Just once. I wanted to do it just once." With that Gumball ran back into the barn, slamming the door behind him. The sound resonated deep inside her and Isis couldn't help but feel that their separation had become a reality. Isis stood up a little bit straighter. It wouldn't solve anything to cry over something she couldn't fix. It was time to grow up, be an adult. And adults had to sacrifice things, especially the things they love most. With misty eyes Isis made her way back to the castle where her future awaited.


	2. Grow Up, Child

"Snowflake, I know you do not like him, but you have to marry him!" The King was desperately trying to catch up to his angry daughter. Isis had been summoned into the throne room to meet with the suitor her father had selected. She hadn't been able to believe the man he had chosen. She had _told _him that she would never marry that guy, she would marry any of the other suitors without complaint, but he had still chosen him anyway! Her father finally caught up to her and grasped her elbow in a firm grip that surprised her. Isis stopped and threw a furious look at her father.

"I refuse, Daddy! You cannot make me!" Isis watched her father wither under her fierce glare and she knew she had won. He had never been able to stand up to her, not his little princess. She yanked her arm from her father's grasp, a cold sneer on her face. "I will never marry that wretched fool. If you're so eager for him to marry someone, make Luke do it. He'll do whatever you say." Isis spat out her brother's name like it was a disease. It disgusted her how eager Luke was to make their father happy. He was a lapdog, nothing more. Unfit to rule the Ice Kingdom in every way. With a final sneer, Isis moved to leave her father in the hall.

"Isis." The princess stopped cold. She looked over her shoulder, her shock apparent. The King stood at his full height. Gone was the meek man she had come to know, the only man Isis thought her father could ever be. Before her stood a man that embodied the image of strength, and on his face was a look of determination that Isis knew no tantrum could move. "You will marry that boy because _I _said so. I am not only your father, I am the King, and my word is law." Isis's eyes, against her will, filled with tears. She whirled to face him, her posture indignant. "And do not try throwing another tantrum, young lady. You are not a child anymore. You need to grow up and do what is good for the Kingdom."

Isis's fury had dwindled into a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time: tiny. Isis's father seemed to tower over her as he chided her for her behavior, but the last sentence stuck out to her. "Good for the Kingdom?" She echoed softly, confused. Her father's eyes softened as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, for the Kingdom. One day, my little snowflake, you will become Queen, and being one means you will have to do things you do not want to do for your Kingdom to survive. Your marriage will be the first step to becoming a great Queen." The confidence and pride Isis heard in her father's voice soothed her heart as she placed a hand on top of his. The King kissed the top of her head before letting Isis go and guiding her back to the throne room. It wasn't until they reached the door way that Isis realized her father had never answered her question. Why was it so urgent for her to marry now? Was the Ice Kingdom in danger?


	3. The Kingdom Comes First

Sadly, the suitor from Candy Kingdom still failed to impress her. Isis found herself turning her nose up in the air from the stench that wafted from the man. His lack of hygiene was appalling enough, but he was also horrendously unkempt. His clothes were too big for his scrawny frame and it looked like he hadn't shaved in days. A soft nudge from her dad made Isis change her expression of disgust into a more…polite one. The two reached the Candy King and Prince in the middle of the throne room. They looked very confident and Isis had a sinking feeling that her future had already been decided.

"Nice to see you again Isis." The Prince sneered in her direction and her lips tightened into a thin line. The King tensed beside his daughter and Isis forced herself to relax. She was going to behave this time. Her father was very serious about her marriage with this man so she would smile and be charming, like any well behaved princess would.

"It is nice to see you again as well J.R. I had to get some air earlier. I felt like I could barely breathe." She gave him a pointed look and the Prince just shrugged. He obviously didn't care about his odor whatsoever, but Isis wasn't surprised. After all, he showed up to meet his bride-to-be looking anything but royal. She shook her head while her father cleared his throat.

"Isis, this is Prince Jolly Rancher. He is going to be your husband in two week's time." Her gaze darted over to her father. In two weeks? So soon? There was so much to do for a wedding! That was hardly enough time! The Prince, instead of looking alarmed, looked annoyed by the use of his full name. Apparently this was news to her only. How long had they been planning this? What else were they not telling her? Isis's lip curled in disgust once more. Surely she would not be expected to _breed_ with this sad excuse of a piece of candy. Her father misinterpreted her alarm and quickly backtracked to try and calm her. "I know this is all so sudden, but Jolly Rancher—"

"J.R." They all stared at him but the Prince kept his aggressive stance as he stared the Ice King down. "Call me J.R." Isis's eyes were practically slits as she regarded this man. No one was allowed to talk to her father like that. He was going to pay dearly for that the next time they were alone.

"…J.R." The King continued, his irritation from the interruption concealed rather well, "will make a great husband, and…you won't be going alone." Isis looked up at her father, confusion written on her delicate face. "You will be able to take Skye with you to the Candy Kingdom!" Isis kept her face from falling. She got to take her horse? She was being forced to leave her home and the only thing she would be able to have is her horse? Isis, strangely, felt like crying, something she hadn't done since she was five. Yet today she had almost cried twice. While struggling to find a smile, the King continued to talk. "Of course, you would want someone who is familiar with her to take care of Skye, so you will be able to take that stable boy with you."

Isis whirled to face her father, this time the smile coming easily as she hugged him in her glee. The King laughed, pleased with his daughter's reaction to his good news, although he suspected for different reasons. Isis couldn't believe it! Gumball would be able to go to the Candy Kingdom with her! This was great! She wouldn't be alone! The memory of Gumball kissing her flashed into her mind and her good mood dampened. Maybe having Gumball come along wasn't the best thing ever. He would be a distraction in her efforts of pretending to love the Candy Prince. The princess let go of her father and turned to J.R. He was eyeing her with a knowing look and Isis found herself feeling chagrined. J.R. knew that her zealous reaction was not because of her horse, but for the stable boy. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and lowered her eyes. The King patted her on the shoulder before turning his attention back to the Candy people.

"Of course, Isis will be able to attend my son's coronation along with her new husband and father-in-law." It was obvious that this was not a proposition, but something that was going to happen. "And we will be able to attend her wedding." He brushed the rest of Isis's stray hair out of her face while the Candy King tried to stutter his objections. There would not be enough room in the Candy Kingdom to accommodate most of the subjects of the Ice Kingdom. She pitied the poor fool. Her father would not be denied. Unless he was dealing with her, the King did not back down easily. However, Isis was more concerned with another matter.

"The wedding won't be here?" She asked her father with a hint of a whine. Her father gave her an apologetic look and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, snowflake," Isis heard J.R. snicker and she tossed him a glare before turning back to her father. "Your wedding will take place in the Candy Kingdom. The subjects need to see and meet their new Queen, and the only way you'll be able to do that is have the ceremony there." Isis sighed but nodded. It made sense. Everyone in the Candy Kingdom would want to know who she was, and this would be the easiest way. But wouldn't it still be a shock if she just showed up for just the wedding ceremony? Realization dawned on her and Isis had a sinking feeling that she would be leaving the Ice Kingdom sooner than she thought. The Ice King must've seen that she had connected the dots because he patted her shoulder. "You bags are being packed by the maids as we speak. You will be leaving tonight, but do not worry! You will be able to come back for Luke's coronation before you know it." Isis resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Thank goodness she'd be able to come back for _that_. She crossed her arms across her chest and her father just patted her on the head once more.

An awkward silence followed and the Candy King cleared his throat and uttered the first complete sentence Isis heard from him. "Princess of the Ice Kingdom, why don't you show your fiancé around your lovely home? He has never journeyed so far from his own home and I feel like this would be an enlightening experience for him." Isis leveled her cool gaze on the Candy King. He flinched from the hostility in her eyes. He just wanted them to leave so he and her father could talk about important matters that they were not allowed to hear.

The Ice King placed a hand on the small of her back to get her attention. Isis looked up to see him incline his head towards J.R. and she wrinkled her nose. He was still upset about her tantrum, otherwise he would have fought for her to stay. Stifling a groan, Isis then grasped the sides of her dress and dipped into a formal curtsey and bowed her head. "I would love to escort the Prince around my home." Before she could even utter another sentence, the two teens were ushered out of the room and the doors thudded shut behind them. J.R., growling, started to straighten his ruffled clothes. Isis just laughed.

"What's so funny?" He snarled, only succeeding in making Isis laugh harder.

"Not used to being pushed around are you?" His silence was enough of an answer for the Princess. She reached out and grasped his chin, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were a sickly lavender and his skin a pasty pink. She tried not to think about how long it had been since he washed his scruffy face. "Well you better because I'm going to make your life hell." Fury flared in his eyes and J.R. jerked his head away. Isis only laughed before strolling down the hall. She didn't care if he followed or not. She wasn't the one who didn't know their way around. Besides, there were plenty of people to ask if he got lost. There were servants running around preparing for Luke's coronation. It was happening in a month and the palace was abuzz with activity, but she had a more important matter to worry about: figuring out what the Kings were talking about. Lucky for her, she knew of a service entrance that took her to the throne room and remain unseen. For once she was glad her brother had dragged her throughout their home on his stupid adventures when they were little.

After turning a couple corners, Isis finally found the painting she was looking for. It was a portrait of her late mother and her father. They were both smiling and looked very much in love. Isis smiled at the portrait, placing her hand on her father's face. He looked so happy. Why wasn't she able to make him smile like that? She would forever be in her mother's shadow, the greatest Queen of all ages. Under her reign, the Ice Kingdom had lived in peace and prosperity. Ever since her death, the Ice Kingdom had slowly fallen into ruin. Isis feared that the Ice Kingdom would be destroyed under her brother's rule in a matter of years. They couldn't have found someone more unworthy than Luke to take over the Kingdom. Isis shook her head and pushed onward. There would be plenty of time in her new home to ponder how things could be different. Running a finger along the edge of the frame, she quickly found the small button she was looking for. With a soft _click _the painting swung open from the wall on unseen hinges, revealing a hidden corridor. Only a select few even knew about this service corridor. It was a secret passed down through the head guards, just in case the Ice Kingdom was ever under attack and they needed to rush the royals out of the palace and into safety. Luckily, Luke and Isis had been around to overhear the guards talking about it when the Ice Kingdom had been in some trouble with the Water Kingdom.

Crawling into the hole, Isis sneezed when a cloud of dust descended upon her. Wiping her nose in a non-ladylike manner, the Princess quickly hurried through the corridor until she reached the end. The hallway ended right behind the throne and Isis poked her head out. The curtain obscured her from view. The Kings were in deep conversation nearby. A map was spread out in front of them. She squinted her eyes but was too far to see anything.

"…The Fire Kingdom is getting more aggressive by the day. They want to conquer our Kingdom, and once they assemble enough troops we will not have a chance." The Candy King made an unhappy noise and Isis's father nodded and kept talking. "My Kingdom will slowly melt the more they progress into our borders, but if we had the alliance of the Candy Kingdom, the Fire Kingdom would be unwilling to take the risk of starting a war. You have too many numbers alone and would be an even more formidable foe with my soldiers accompanying you." Isis's eyes widened. The Fire Kingdom was going to attack her home? But why? What had they ever done to the Fire King to encourage such rage? Wars in the land of Ooo didn't happen often, but they occurred for the silliest of reasons. What had her father done to offend the King?

"And why would I align with you Jack? I would gain nothing from you with this alliance." Isis heard a sound of outrage from her father.

"I am giving you my daughter! Is that not enough?!" The Candy King snorted and shook his head.

"That girl is going to give my Kingdom enough trouble on her own. I will need more than just a bratty teenager for me to put my Candy subjects at risk." The tension in the air was thick as the two Kings glared at each other. Isis held her breath, too scared she would accidentally give her position away to actually process what she was hearing. Her father was the first one to give. He looked away and rubbed the back of his head.

"What are your demands?" Isis felt her jaw drop. What? Just like that her father gave up? Was the Ice Kingdom really in such danger? The Candy King's smile was triumphant as he regarded her father. He stroked his pink goatee in thought.

"I want access to half of your treasury" Her father got to his feet with so much force the chair he was sitting on toppled to the ground. Outrage was written across his face but the Candy King held up a hand to silence him. Her father was in no position to argue and the King knew it. "Since I am helping you, I will need access to your treasury for getting the proper equipment and to repair any damages that come if the war occurs. I also want hunting rights in your kingdom. Naturally, anything of value I obtain will be mine." The Ice King was still standing, trembling with unconcealed rage as he stared down the man that could save their kingdom. Isis, still hidden behind the throne, was furious as well. She couldn't believe that man was so greedy! He would be the ruin of the Ice Kingdom! Her father couldn't make this deal! The Fire Kingdom threat couldn't be that bad. They would be able to make through it. All he had to have was faith.

The silence stretched for a long time, long enough for the Candy King to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Her father was practically boring holes into the man. If looks could kill the Candy King would have already been dead. The Ice King took a deep breath and Isis knew he had made a decision. Despite her certainty, Isis stayed to hear what her father would say. It never hurt to be sure, even when you were certain of the outcome.

"I-I agree to your terms." Isis quickly covered her mouth to conceal her surprised squeak. He agreed? Why!? She slowly backed away into the corridor, her face a mask of horror. Didn't her father see the long term consequences of such an agreement? The Candy Kingdom would single-handedly monopolize their economy in a couple of years. Her Kingdom thrived on the exports it made for the Ice Kingdom was peaceful and didn't get their spoils from war like others. Her Kingdom would perish in a matter of years! They would be driven to poverty, the people would rebel, and, and…Isis turned and ran only to slam into something warm and solid. She tumbled to the ground hard and looked up, her mouth an 'o' of surprise. A familiar face sneered down at her and J.R. butted her with his boot.

"You really need to work on being more observant. I was tailing you the entire time." Isis glared up at him before getting to her feet. Like expected, he didn't help her up, and she wasn't surprised. He wasn't the type to help someone. If he would help anyone, he'd help himself. She brushed the dust off of her royal blue dress and put a finger to her lips. They had probably made enough noise to be noticed, but she hoped the Kings weren't aware of their presence. They wouldn't live to see the day if their parents knew they were there.

J.R. ignored her and pushed past Isis. Startled, the Princess stumbled slightly before regaining her balance. She glared at the man. Who did this bastard think he was? Imagining different ways to stage his death, Isis tiptoed behind him and pulled on his sleeve. "Get back in here." She hissed, a hint of desperation in her voice. At this rate they would be discovered. They were being so loud that their parents would have to be deaf not to hear them. Or was that just the blood pounding in her ears?

"Oh shut up. They won't catch us, so stop worrying." He waved her dismissively away and Isis felt the mounting fury that had been building up explode inside her. Not only did he not respect her, he treated her like dirt. She would not let this go on. Like her father had taught her many years ago: if you want to stop a certain behavior, you nip it right in the bud. For once she was glad she had worn her tiara.

The crowns that the royals of the Ice Kingdom wore were very precious, for whoever wore them controlled the element of ice. There were varying degrees of power, the King's being the most powerful of them all. Being the Princess of the Ice Kingdom, Isis had the weakest of the royal crowns, but what power she was able to wield would be enough for this simple fool. A soft breeze blew through the corridor making J.R. shiver, unaware that his bride-to-be was gathering power behind him. Lifting her hands, Isis faced her palms towards the Prince and started to mutter a spell softly. Deep in concentration, she failed to realize that her voice carried and reached J.R.'s ears. He turned around, saw what she was doing, and flung himself at her.

With a shriek, Isis's spell was interrupted. The blue aura that had surrounded her hands faded until only her pale blue skin remained. J.R.'s hands were rough as he shoved her hard against the back of her father's throne. The massive seat wobbled from the force of the blow, the shock strong enough for Isis to forget how to breathe. Gasping for air Isis looked up to see J.R. pulling his fist back for a punch. She moved her head just in time, a satisfying _smack_ coming from the prince's hand. Her hand flew out to cover J.R.'s mouth, his howl of pain smothered behind it. The fury in his eyes only added fuel to her fire. "Shut-up you fool. We've already been discovered. We need to get—" He flung her hand away and brought his own hand to her throat, moving in close enough that their bodies were touching and she could smell his horrid breath.

"You little witch! Thought you could catch me off guard, huh? You'll pay for that stunt later." He hissed when the curtain beside them was thrown open. The two Kings stared down at them. Her father looked very angry, his eyes trained on J.R., while the Candy King just looked amused. Isis wanted to hit him.

"My, my. I had no idea you two were already so close." J.R., instead of looking chagrined or even a little bit remorseful, just grinned. He grabbed her chin roughly and tilted her face upwards. The lips that met hers were cold, hard, and unfeeling. He kissed her like he owned her, like she was his property. In many ways she already was.

J.R. pulled away and looked up at his father, completely ignoring her own. "Yeah, we get along just fine, don't we Princess?" He looked back at her and Isis smiled sweetly up at him. Then she spat in his face. Before the Prince could even react, her father had shoved him away and drawn her to his chest. Isis was surprised to feel him tremble.

"That. Is. Enough. You will leave my castle this instant. My daughter will meet you at the Candy Kingdom." J.R. wiped the spit off of his face like it was rain before standing beside his father. He hid his rage well, but Isis knew he was still furious. Despite knowing that she would be virtually powerless once she left the Ice Kingdom, Isis couldn't help but feel smug. He got what he had deserved. Not only had he touched her when they were not married, J.R. had disrespected her and her father repeatedly during his stay. For once she was in agreement with her father. It was time for them to leave.

With sickeningly sweet smiles the two Candy royals bowed before exiting the room. The Ice King continued to clutch Isis to his chest and his trembling only got worse. "Oh Goddess, what have I done?" Isis pulled away from her father angrily and stared up at him. He didn't seem to comprehend that she had left his desperate embrace. It was after a few moments that he finally looked over at her. Isis's fury had reached a new high and it was her turn to tremble with rage. Her father had sold her to that horrible Prince, had kept vital information from her, and he had helped her. Her pride had suffered too much today and her father stepping in had been the last straw.

"I didn't need your help!" She seethed "I could have taken care of myself!" The King only stared, his expression bleak. Not getting the reaction she wanted from him, Isis decided to change tactics. "Why are you giving me to that brute? It's not fair! I don't even want to marry him!" Her father groaned and rubbed a hand across his face. Isis growled. "What? You don't want me to bring this up again? Well too bad! I don't want to marry him! He'll kill me if I ever let my guard down! Did you see how he looked at me? A chair means more to him than me!" Her father had been mumbling something the entire time she had been speaking. The King slowly straightened before towering over her, being the man she feared once more.

"Enough!" She realized he had been silently chanting that word like a mantra throughout her whole tirade. Despite the powerful figure before her, Isis stood her ground, her chin held high in defiance as she stared up at her father. "Do you think I want you to marry that man? He is a disgusting piece of filth, but Isis you have to! The Ice Kingdom will fall if you do not marry the Candy Prince."

"This Kingdom will fall whether I marry that man or not."

"And why is that?" He sounded exasperated, certain she had no idea what she was talking about. Isis struggled to maintain what little patience she had before she exploded again.

"Father, you gave the Candy King access to half our treasury and the rights to hunt on our lands. No questions asked! He could do whatever he wanted with the money in the treasury or completely destroy our economy by stealing the profits of our exports and you won't be able to do a thing about it. You agreed to his terms and the Candy King is controlled by greed. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"Which is?"

Isis faltered, unsure of what the Candy King wanted. "I-I don't know. He will lose an ally if the Ice Kingdom falls." The Ice King walked away from Isis and out of the throne room, the young Princess following at his side. He seemed to be lost in thought and Isis, her anger momentarily forgotten, waited to hear what her father had to say.

"I am not sure what the Candy King wants to gain from us other than profit. Maybe he wishes to use our land or just watch a kingdom fall because of his actions, but I am not in the position to make an argument. It is either side with the Candy Kingdom or have the Fire Kingdom vanquish us in a matter of days." Isis swallowed hard, her mind coming up with graphic images of soldiers dying in battle. It was not something she wanted to witness with her own two eyes. "I am picking the lesser of two evils here, Isis. Please understand that what you are about to do might save the Kingdom." She stopped walking. It was a low blow, her father had known that all along. His great speech was leading up to that one little sentence. It played on her fantasy of doing something important for her home, something life changing that would make her a hero. She wanted to matter in people's lives instead of being just a shadow behind her brother. Isis looked up at her father who had stopped walking as well. He didn't look at her. Instead, he stared straight ahead, as if to give her the privacy she needed to make such a huge decision. Time seemed to stop as she debated what to do.

Could she do it?

Could she throw her whole life away to give her Kingdom a chance to survive? Was it worth it when her dunce of a brother would be put on the throne in only a month's time? Her future was unclear, but one thing was for certain, if the Kingdom fell, there would be nothing to save. Or change. Isis lowered her head in defeat, her hands balling into fists. "I'll do it." She breathed softly. Time seemed to move again. Her father started walking and Isis hurried to catch up with him. She didn't want to look up to see the smug smile on his face. Turns out the old man could still manipulate her decisions.

They parted ways at her room and she went inside. Like her father had said, her bags were carefully packed and ready to go. They were by her door, waiting to be picked up and taken to the carriage waiting for her downstairs. Isis went and sat on her bed, running her hand across the silken sheets. She would miss it here. She would miss her servants, her dad's smiling face, the way the sun hit the ice every morning when it rose above the horizon…Tears started to stream down her face and Isis put her head in her hands and finally cried. She cried for her father, the man who had lost his wife and soon his daughter, she cried for her kingdom that would soon perish with Luke holding the reigns, she cried for Gumball who would be forced to endure living at the Candy Kingdom and watching her from afar, and she cried for herself. For the pain and humiliation she suffered, for being powerless over her own fate. That night Isis swore to herself that she would never feel like this again. She would never let anyone humiliate her ever again. She would become powerful, powerful enough to change her fate. This, she was certain.


	4. More Than Meets the Eye

"It's so…pink." Isis wrinkled her nose unhappily as the carriage bumped along the road towards the Candy Castle. It towered over the smaller houses, reminding the sickeningly cute candy people that they were merely subjects in the grand scheme of things. The towers were so high that they seemed to skewer the sky. It would have been menacing if it wasn't pink. Instead the castle looked cute and welcoming, but Isis knew better. The Candy King and Prince were anything but cute and friendly. She wondered what the Queen would be like.

"Pink happens to be a fabulous color." The sound of trotting filled her ears and Isis turned to see Gumball oh her horse riding alongside the carriage. She smiled at the sight of him and reached a hand out to poke his pink skin.

"Well, only in certain instances." Gumball flushed before his smile vanished and his wall was put up. Isis sighed. He had been like this the whole trip, even though it was just them. He was determined to keep up the charade that their relationship was strictly business, as if they hadn't been pining after each other for years. Isis shook her head slightly with a soft sigh before turning her attention to the path ahead. The carriage was pulled by snow white reindeer. They didn't need a driver. The animals were intelligent creatures who knew the land. They could go anywhere and always knew the way back to the Ice Kingdom. They were beautiful creatures and Isis would be sad to see them go. They were the last bit of the Ice Kingdom that she would see in a long while.

The jingling bells filled the air and announced their arrival to anyone who was listening. Little candy faces poked their heads out of windows and doors. The braver souls ventured outside of their homes. As they traveled down the road to the castle, more people came outside and crowded the streets. There were whispers and stares and Isis shifted uncomfortably. Isis wished Gumball was next to her again, but he had fallen back behind the carriage where he was supposed to go to avoid any suspicion. Cautiously, Isis lifted her hand in a wave. Slowly, a cheer filled the air and then everyone was screaming and shouting. The candy subjects waved energetically back at her while others hugged and laughed. Some even started dancing. Isis could only stare. This wasn't what she had expected. Isis had thought the candy subjects would hate her, after all, she was a foreign Princess coming in to take over their Kingdom. She was going to be their new Queen in two weeks time, someone they knew nothing about. Didn't that scare them? Propping her chin in her hand, Isis watched the candy subjects frolic in the streets and smiled. Just watching them almost made her forget the living hell that her life was going to become. Almost.

Too soon the carriage rolled to a stop and Isis moved to leave it. Before she could reach the door it was pulled open for her by Gumball. He held the door open, offering a hand to help her out of the carriage. She smiled softly up at him but he didn't return it. Her smile fell but she kept walking, pushing away her hurt feelings. She had to stop expecting Gumball to act like he normally would. They had roles to play now. He was the obedient stable boy and she was the happy princess, eager for her wedding day and not dreaming about running far, far away.

Walking up the stairs leading up to the massive entrance, the pink wooden door slowly opened in front of her, pulled open by banana guards. She stared at them. They weren't candy…but bananas were sweet. Maybe that was all you needed to qualify as a subject at the candy kingdom. Pulling her gaze from the guards, Isis turned to see the Candy King and Prince standing in front of a large stair case. Made of candy. Honestly, they were taking this candy thing a bit too far.

"Welcome to our home, Isis. We hope that you'll enjoy your stay here." Isis didn't enjoy the way her skin prickled. She didn't feel safe here at all, and the way J.R. was leering at her made her clutch the bag she was carrying even closer to her chest. The Candy King noticed that she was carrying her bags and his eyes grew wide. His cheeks were flushed with anger as he demanded for a servant to carry her bags. His eyes then landed on Gumball and they bulged even more.

"What are _you_ doing here!? Get down to the stables where you belong. The other stable boys will show you where your sleeping quarters are at." And with that Gumball was dismissed. Isis sent him an alarmed look but he just shuffled obediently along. She scowled before turning back to the Candy King.

"Do not treat him like that! He is my friend!" The two guffawed, obviously amused that she would be friends with a mere servant. J.R. then walked over to her, grasping her chin again. She jerked her head away and the man laughed.

"I'm not stupid. You think of him more than just a friend. Consider your days with him numbered. You will not associate with him at all. If I see you even looking at him you will suffer the consequences. Are we understood?" Isis was about to protest but he held a finger to her lips. She resisted the urge to tear it off. Instead, she just moved her head. "Not a word out of you. You can't make demands here. This is my home and I am in control. And once you become my Queen…" He drew her close and Isis was glad none of the servants had gotten her bag yet. It was a small barrier between the two of them. "You'll be mine." He then practically flung her away and turned to leave the room as Isis almost fell to the ground . The Candy King, not impressed with his son's display, coughed loudly. J.R. turned to glare at his father.

"You are not King yet, _son_. Until then, I call the shots. You will escort Isis around the castle until she is familiar with her new home. Show her the gardens or something." With that said, the Candy King left the two to their own devices. J.R. rolled his eyes and sauntered back over to her. Maids scurried over and retrieved her bags before disappearing as fast as they could. The Prince then offered her his left arm. Isis looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't flatter yourself. If I actually liked you I would offer my right arm." At her blank look J.R. rolled his eyes. "Nevermind, you obviously don't know your history." Isis glared. She hadn't even been here for ten minutes and she had already been manhandled and threatened. She shook her head and placed her hand on his arm only to push it down. He looked confused for just a moment before it turned into annoyance. "What?" He demanded impatiently, clearly wanting to get going. Isis rolled her eyes and thumped him in the middle of his head.

"We have to look like we love each other, remember? So give me your right arm." Rubbing his head the Prince glared at her.

"No, it's my arm." Exasperated, Isis walked around him and grabbed his right arm before she started walking. With a groan J.R. followed. She shook her head. Clearly she would have to teach him a thing or two about acting. After all, she did get through her whole life without people knowing that she hated her brother. Against her will she remembered her farewell with her brother the night before. Isis had been acting like she hadn't been glad to leave her Luke, but he had been unbearably tearful. He had wrapped her in an embrace and didn't let go for a long time. Luke had truly been sad that she was going to leave. It had been awkward and only made her more than eager to depart. Now she would live through a thousand of those hugs than be here at the Candy Kingdom.

"Besides," she said while they walked to get rid of the memory "people don't even think about something silly like that." There was a silence and Isis glanced over at him. J.R. was staring at her and Isis frowned. Did she have something on her face? She put a hand to her cheek and he chuckled.

"Sorry. I think that was the first time you didn't insult me." Isis lowered her hand with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh please. It wasn't exactly a nice thing to say. Now where are we going?" She had no idea where she was heading and J.R. showed no inclination of leading the way. He seemed to remember that he was supposed to be showing her around and began to guide her through the labyrinth of halls. Isis tried to keep track of all the twists and turns they made, but soon she was hopelessly lost. She stopped trying to pay attention and just started to enjoy the scenery. Every now and then they passed a window that allowed her to glimpse the kingdom outside the castle walls. The cute candy buildings were filled with people and the town seemed to be in full swing. Isis started to wonder what all the preparations were for when she remembered that her 'grand wedding' was in two weeks time. The thought dampened her mood and she turned away from the windows. The pair had been walking in silence for a long time, J.R. stealing glances at her every now and again.

"I've never seen you so quiet. Well, heard, I guess." Isis raised an eyebrow at him. He frowned. "What? I can't make an observation?" The princess snorted and lifted her head high. She couldn't believe it! He was actually trying to be nice! Or was she reading too much into it? Either way, she wouldn't fall for it.

"Well I preferred it when you were quiet." Isis retorted. She was about to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and froze. Tucking her hair behind her ear? Really? She only lapsed into that habit when she was nervous or when she was comfortable. Obviously she wasn't nervous…Isis lowered her hand and refused to look at J.R. Comfortable around this brute? As if! She heard him scoff and they fell back into silence again. In a few minutes they were outside in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. There were splashes of color everywhere and Isis just stood at the garden entrance, riveted. J.R. laughed at her expression.

"You act like you've never seen a garden before!" When Isis continued to stare, realization dawned in his face. She was glad she didn't have to explain something obvious to the Candy Prince. She was from a Kingdom made entirely of ice. Virtually no plants could thrive in the climate she lived in, and the ones that did were nowhere near as a vibrant green as the plants surrounding her. She took a tentative step outside but then leaped back. She had stepped on the green stuff on the ground! Did she kill it? J.R. chuckled and held a hand out to her. She glared at his extended hand and he slowly took it back. Being laughed at for her ignorance was not something she particularly enjoyed. "Calm down. You can't kill grass by stepping on it." At her confused look J.R. gestured at the ground. So that was grass? Peering at the strange phenomenon, Isis shrugged before taking off her shoes and stepping on the grass. It was soft and plush beneath her feet and Isis smiled. Her arms were held out warily, prepared to jump away if the blades of grass cut into her feet. She looked up at J.R., who was watching her with an amused expression, and grinned.

"This is so cool!" J.R. shook his head and extended his hand again. Isis was about to refuse it again once more when she saw a couple gardeners tending to some of the plants. One of them glanced in their direction and Isis wrinkled her nose before reluctantly taking J.R.'s hand. They had to keep up appearances right? Though she wondered what the Prince's game was. When she had arrived at the castle she had been welcomed with threats and groping hands, but now…It seemed like he was playing nice. Isis wasn't naïve enough to think he was turning over a new leaf. Regardless, it was a nice change. She still didn't like him though.

"C'mon," He said, "I have something to show you." She followed him through the garden. All the while she was pointing out flowers. They had every kind imaginable in the Candy Kingdom garden. All the while J.R. kept throwing her weird looks and after awhile she couldn't take it anymore.

"What?" She demanded angrily and he continued to stare. "What?" She asked again and stopped walking. He shook his head and tugged her along again.

"It's just weird that you had no idea what grass was yet you can practically name every flower in this garden." Isis scowled and looked away.

"Since Luke was always being trained to become the new King of the Ice Kingdom, I had a lot of free time okay? So I spent almost every day in the library."

"Awwww. You did you hate not being the center of attention?" The tone he used was clearly mocking and Isis glared at him. She had let her guard down, letting him see a glimpse of her life and this was the thanks she got? Isis stiffened and threw her wall back up. J.R. only laughed again and she gritted her teeth. Well at least he was back to normal. She wasn't sure how to act around the nice version of the Candy Prince.

"Weren't you going to show me something?" She reminded him and J.R. waved her away dismissively. Isis sucked her teeth and glared at him. Before she knew it they came to a stop and Isis looked around, not sure what she was supposed to see. "Okay…what are you showing me here?" They were in front of a white rose bush, and behind it, there was a beautifully crafted white gazebo. Looking over at J.R., he gestured to the ground and she looked down. There was a plaque on the ground that she had missed and she kneeled down to see it.

_Here rests Lolli: a loving mother and an adored Queen_.

Isis gently brushed her fingers across the golden surface of the plaque. His mother had passed? When? Why didn't she know this? Was that really the most important thing on her mind? She looked up at J.R. who was gazing at the rose bush. His face held only sorrow and Isis felt her heart twinge. Maybe they had more in common than she thought. She got to her feet and reached out to grasp his hand before stopping herself. Was this a part of his game too? He had been mocking her only moments before. But…She looked back at the plaque. It glinted in the dying sunlight. What could he possibly gain from showing her his mother's grave? Sympathy? Pity? Those were the only things she felt as she looked up at the Prince.

"I'm sorry about your mom…" It was such a cliché response, but it was all she had. Words could not fill the void a loss of a loved one left. It was only actions that remained, and even if she wanted to, Isis couldn't love him the way he needed. J.R. gazed at her for a moment. Even with his shaggy hair and rugged beard, Isis couldn't shake the feeling that he looked so familiar, but from where? He then shook his head and the resemblance ended. Only J.R. stood in front of her.

"That's what everyone else says…I thought you might say something different." Isis looked away, still at a loss of what to say. She touched his arm but he only stiffened. "C'mon. I'll show you to your room." He then strode away and Isis hurried after him. She stayed a couple paces behind him as they walked in silence. She felt bad for not being able to soothe him, but comforting others wasn't something she did on a regular basis. And…he thought that she could connect with him since both of their mothers had died, but that wasn't the case. J.R.'s mother, Lolli, must have died recently, leaving a wound behind in their Kingdom, a wound deep enough that they had wanted to find a Queen as soon as possible. Isis, even though she had lost her mother, couldn't understand their grief. She hadn't even known her mother. The only things she knew about the Ice Queen was from her father's memories and the paintings that decorated her castle. In a way, Isis had never lost her mother in the first place. If she had never known her, then how could she ever lose her?

They reached Isis's new room and J.R. threw open her door. It slammed against the wall, scaring the peppermint maid that was cleaning the floors.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry your Highness! I thought I had more time to—"

"What are you still doing here? You were supposed to be done cleaning this room by the time Princess Isis came to retire to her room!" Isis, if it had been a servant of her own, would have been annoyed, but not furious. Obviously the small candy woman had been misinformed and, after all, they had returned from walking around the castle much earlier than planned. Isis wrinkled her nose at what she was going to do, but it had to be done. Honestly, she was touching him too much today.

Isis reached out and gently laid a hand on his arm. Startled at the contact, J.R. stopped his tirade to glance at her. "It's alright J.R., she didn't know, and we came back really early." He narrowed his eyes at her and grabbed her roughly by the arm, dragging her outside the room and shutting the door behind them.

"I am going to tell you this one time: when I am speaking to my servants, never interrupt me. You might be the new Queen, but I am still the King." He snarled and Isis glared up at him, feeling an odd sense of relief. This was the man she knew how to act around. The other J.R., the strange man that actually paid attention and tried to connect with her was foreign and unpredictable. She couldn't control the situation there, but here, this was what she knew.

"No, _you_ listen! You aren't King yet, and even when I am your Queen, the last person I'm going to be listening to is _you_!" She snarled back and, in response, he shoved her against the wall. Isis collided with a loud thud that knocked the wind out of her. When she was finally oriented again Isis saw that J.R. had firmly planted his hands on either side of her head, leaning down so that he towered over her, his face was only inches from her own. Instead of backing off like she wanted to, Isis stood her ground as she remembered her vow she had made the night before she came to this wretched place. She remembered how powerless she had felt and found strength in that.

"You don't seem to understand the concept that you are _mine_. You will do what I say, no questions asked. Don't make me repeat myself, dearie. That will only make me angrier." His expression turned into a sneer as Isis remained tight lipped. Despite the anger that flared up in her chest, Isis knew she couldn't do anything about it. In the Ice Kingdom she could at least perform simple spells, but at the Candy Kingdom she couldn't even do that. She was starting to think that she couldn't keep up with her vow, not without the crown. Wait. The crown! If she could somehow obtain the crown, maybe she could get out of this arranged marriage!

J.R., not liking that he was so easily forgotten, slammed one of his hands against the wall, jarring her. Isis glared at the Prince and shoved him away. "Back off you sleaze-ball!" Things probably would've escalated, the fury in J.R.'s eyes was foreshadowing enough, if the peppermint maid hadn't poked her head out of the room. Seeing the scene, the maid squeaked loudly enough from them to hear and J.R. jumped away from her like she had some sort of disease.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—" The peppermint maid's squeaky voice stammered wildly as she tried to look anywhere else but at the two royals. Isis realized that how they were positioned made it look like J.R. had taken out his anger with her in…other ways. Making a quick decision, Isis allowed tears to well up in her eyes. She was disappointed at how easily they came. At the sight of her tears, the peppermint maid seemed to find some resolve deep within herself and stomped over to Isis, taking her hand.

"Prince J.R.! That is no way to treat a lady! If you wish to find Princess Isis, come back tomorrow. She's tired from her long journey and needs to rest." Her voice carried a finality that only mother's could carry and Isis smiled gratefully at the small candy woman. J.R. trembled with ill concealed anger. Obviously he did not take the interruption lightly, especially from a servant. Isis decided it was time for some improvisation. She rushed forward into the Prince's arms and brought her lips to his ear.

"You're not acting as well as you did earlier. You almost had me fooled." She whispered, referring to his charade in the garden, before burying her face into the crook of his neck with a few sobs. "Please! Don't be mad! I just didn't want the maid to get in trouble for a decision I made! I wanted to go to sleep early since I was so tired, it's not fair to blame her when she thought she had more time to clean!" When Isis looked up at him, her eyes were misty as her lower lip trembled for the full effect. Isis thought she was coming on a little strong, but the maid had no idea how she really acted around others. J.R., after an initial scowl, followed along smoothly. He wrapped his arms around her before holding her at arm's length, his face filled with chagrin and a touch of regret. She would have to commend him on his acting skills later.

"I'm sorry dear. I forgot myself. I just wanted everything to be perfect when you arrived." He lightly caressed her face with the back of his hand and Isis had to force the image of him back-handing her out of her head. His eyes then darted over to the maid and he let Isis go. He bowed deeply in front of the maid and it had the desired effect. The peppermint maid gasped, her hand over her mouth, as she tried to process what was happening before her eyes. "I am sorry peppermint maid. Please forgive my rudeness and help my fiancé get to bed. Have her ready for breakfast tomorrow at ten a.m. sharp." The maid straightened and curtsied.

"Of course Your Highness! She will be ready!" The small woman looked determined, as if J.R. had given her a new mission in life. She then scuttled back inside, ushering Isis back in with her. The princess tossed one last glance over her shoulder. J.R.'s expression was hidden by shadow as he stood, watching them. Isis had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't leave anytime soon. Seems like she had left one prison for another.


	5. Surprise!

The next two weeks passed by in a very routine manner. She got up, peppermint maid dressed her in one of her new gowns, and she went to breakfast. She would then spend time with J.R. until lunch, eat, then be forced to spend more time with him again till dinner. After dinner she would claim to be tired from all of the day's activities and retire early. These were the times that she looked forward to the most because that was when she got to spend time with Peppermint Maid. These were the times that she got to relax and be herself.

Isis was shocked to find out that the peppermint maid was actually named Peppermint Maid. However, the name was too long for Isis, so she soon shortened it to Pepper. At first Pepper had put up quite a fuss. She was very old fashioned and insisted on being called by her proper title, just like she insisted that she must call Isis 'Your Highness.' With a little persuasion, and eventually just giving an order, Pepper gave in and did what she was told.

Like every night, Pepper helped her out of her day gown and into her night gown. They then settled by the fireplace in her room and talked. Isis was surprised at how easily they bonded. Soon they were sharing more than just stories. They began to share secrets. Before long, Isis was telling her how she hated how inferior her brother made her feel, how she wasn't really in love with J.R., and how badly she wanted to be Queen.

"Well why couldn't you be Queen?" Pepper asked, genuinely curious. "Queen Lolli was able to become Queen all on her own since she was the Princess of the Candy Kingdom." Isis let out a groan, the envy clear in her expression.

"Things are so different here! At the Ice Kingdom, everything is about tradition. I couldn't become Queen because I was a girl, _and_ I was the youngest." She put her face in her hands and groaned again. Why did she have to be stuck here? Where her only pleasure in life was riding her horse and talking to a maid and a stable boy? Isis paused in her thinking. Honestly, her life wasn't much different compared to the Ice Kingdom. That only made her feel worse and sent her even deeper into her chasm of self-pity. All the while Pepper had remained silent, watching her soon-to-be-Queen, before finally piping up.

"Now that I think about it, Queen Lolli had an older brother too. They were twins, so it was only by a couple minutes, and the Queen was very similar to you in that way. She had no desire to be Queen though. However, the brother, when they were very young, fell sick and died, and Queen Lolli was the only heir left to the throne. So, she had to be the next ruler of the Kingdom because there was no one else." Throughout the story, Isis had slowly lifted her head to stare at Peppermint Maid. Her brother had died so she got the throne? Isis felt the wheels begin to turn in her head. If Luke was taken out of the picture then she could become Queen! Of course, she had thought of something as simple like this before, but never seriously. Luke was too healthy to suddenly fall sick and die, now if there was some sort of tragedy…

"Why do I feel like I gave you an idea?" Pepper sounded grim and Isis grinned at her. Pepper never liked her ideas. Of course, it was her opinion that women should only speak when spoken to.

"Because, my dear Pepper, you just did."

_**xxXXxx**_

Isis never dreamed that she would dread her wedding day. Pepper and a whole horde of maids were fussing over her snow white gown. It had the longest train she had ever seen and embroidered so much that it bordered gaudy. Why was she wearing this thing? She had had no input on the design. The Kings had argued over what the wedding gown would like it, each wanting her to wear their wives' gown, and decided to combine both of them. Isis had never seen an uglier dress, but did she have an opinion today? Of course not. Pepper patted her hand consolingly and Isis smiled at her little friend.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Ready to get this over with," was her bitter answer as Isis lifted the heavy fabric of the wedding dress off the floor. She could barely walk, but at least the wedding would be over with soon. It would be taking place outside in the gardens she had visited nearly two weeks ago. However, instead of getting the final touches of the dress done a few doors down from the gardens, the final touches had taken place in her room. On the other side of the castle.

"Remind me why we had to do this here?"

"Because it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her gown before the ceremony!" One of the maids whispered slyly. It made Isis wonder if that maid had fooled around with her fiancé on her wedding day.

"I see. But we could have easily done this in a room near the gardens."

"Too risky." The same made replied and Isis growled but fell silent. There was nothing she could do about it now, so she might as well deal with it. When the maids were done, they hurried to pick up the train of her dress as Isis walked through the castle. By the time she reached the gardens Isis felt like she was a sweaty mess, but the maids insisted that she looked absolutely beautiful. As they neared the doorway, Isis heard a pair of footsteps behind her and looked over her shoulder to see Luke rushing over to her. Startled, Isis stopped walking only to have her brother plow right into her. They almost toppled to the ground but Luke regained his balance and steadied her.

"Hey sis! Ready to get married?" Isis glared at him and snatched her arm away from his grasp.

"Of course not. What are you doing here?"

"To see my lovely sister get married of course!" Isis rolled her eyes and peered over her shoulder to try and find the person that did matter to her.

"Where's dad?" She asked, too busy looking for her father to see Luke's face fall.

"Doesn't it matter that I'm here?" He asked in a small voice and Isis turned her attention back to Luke, her face already forming into a sneer.

"Of course not. Why would I care that you're here? You've ignored me my whole life, and when you did actually look my way, you only mocked me. Not to mention you always rubbed it in my face that you were going to become King while I got married off to some geezer." Memories flooded her vision, only adding fuel to her fire. Luke walking past her like she didn't exist, Luke making her play the servant when he pretended to be King, Luke throwing away the present she had painstakingly made for him. All throughout her life he had treated her like dirt, yet when she finally had enough, he had the audacity to be hurt about it? She couldn't believe him!

Luke flinched like she had slapped him. Isis gave a snort of disgust before turning away to storm off. Her brother grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks. "That's not true!" Isis stared at him, bewildered. Was he really going to try and tell otherwise? Seeing her face, Luke seemed to decide to change tactic. "Okay, maybe it is, but the real truth is…I know I was mean to you all the time, but…when you left for the Candy Kingdom, I realized that I was going to miss you and that things weren't going be the same between us. I want to try and make up for being mean to you all those years and be your big brother for a change." Isis continued to stare, her bewilderment building.

Gag.

Was she reading some cheesy family novel? He was apologizing for all those years of mistreatment? Really? Like that would change anything? Isis snatched her arm away again, her lip curling in disgust. "Don't bother. I don't need your charity." She snapped before her father came into view. Her snarl instantly disappeared into a relieved smile. "Daddy!" She shouted and ran to her dad. The maids immediately started fussing and tried to keep her wedding dress train from tangling up as she leaped into her father's arms. The King laughed and twirled his daughter around before finally settling her back on the ground, smoothing down her hair with the care that only a parent would show.

"Oh my little snowflake, how I have missed you."

"Oh father! There's so much I want to tell you—"

"I'm afraid we can't talk now, snowflake. The ceremony's about to start and I have to walk you down the aisle." Isis's smile slowly melted off her face and she stared at her hands, disappointed, as her father looked at Luke. "Luke? What are you still doing back here? Go sit down!" That was all the attention the King gave his son before turning back to his daughter, cupping her face in his hands. "Oh Isis, you look so beautiful. Just like your mother." The King looked like he was about to tear up and Isis gave him a shaky smile, touched by the love in his eyes. The only time she had seen him look at someone with so much love was when her father gazed at her mother in paintings. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and Isis closed her eyes, not wanting this moment to end. Throughout her entire life she had wanted the Ice King to show just a fraction of the love he had shown Luke. It was sad that she had to be given away to someone else to finally be appreciated.

A soft knock echoed in the room and Pepper poked her head in. "I'm sorry your Highness, but the ceremony is about to start. Please be ready in a minute." With her message given, she opened the door wide to let the other maids in. Isis glanced behind her to see that no one was there holding her train. She had no idea when they left the room, but they had been so discreet that she hadn't even noticed. The maids quickly took their positions and her father kissed her lightly on the forehead before letting go, holding out his arm for her to take. "Ready?" He asked with a soft smile. Isis, even though she wanted to be anywhere else, smiled back.

"Ready." The lie came easily, but it soothed her father. He straightened as she took his arm. The doors opened wide and they strolled through the doorway as the music began. The pace was horribly slow but she eventually reached the altar. She kept her gaze averted as the ceremony proceeded. Isis spoke when she needed to and only lifted her head when it was time for the dreaded kiss. J.R. lifted her veil and she looked up. What she saw shocked her to her very core.

"…Gumball!?"


	6. An Unexpected Kindness

Even though she knew that it wasn't her real love standing there, her mind couldn't seem to process that it was J.R. she was seeing and not Gumball. They were practically twins! His face was shaven, his hair was cut and styled…J.R. looked confused.

"Gumball? Who's that?" Her father had gone rigid beside her and Isis wanted to kick herself. To be honest, she hadn't thought about Gumball in ages, too busy with keeping up her act to think much of anything else. Her father had no idea who Gumball was, and J.R. seemed to have forgotten, but the fact still remained that she had shouted some unknown male name in the middle of her wedding ceremony.

"N-No one! No one important!" She saw Luke frowning in the front row. Isis hoped Luke didn't remember who Gumball was. It would make things so much easier. The silence was deafening as she looked up at J.R., her eyes pleading for him to believe her. He stared at her for a long moment but he eventually just shrugged and signaled for the priest to get on with ceremony.

"U-Uh..you may kiss the bride!" He repeated, giving Isis one last strange look before gesturing for them to seal their marriage with a kiss. It was brief and emotionless, a simple deed being done because there was no choice, and just like that the wedding was over. It was over for Isis anyway. She planned on slipping away during the reception to go find Gumball. She had to apologize to him for being so scarce these last couple weeks and to tell him what had happened at her wedding! Unfortunately, she had been unable to slip away and was forced to stay the entire time. The next thing Isis knew her and her new husband were left alone in their new room. She didn't even know how they had ended up there. The entire ceremony had been a blur. Many faces swam before her eyes as she put a hand to her head. She felt a bit dizzy as she looked over at J.R. It was then that she comprehended how bad it was that they were alone. In a room. On their wedding night. Isis took a step back as J.R. rushed forward. He grabbed her arms roughly and stared her down.

"Who is Gumball?" He demanded harshly and Isis glared up at him, wrenching one of her arms away before starting to work on the other one.

"Does it matter? Let me go!"

"Of course it matters! The new Queen of the Candy Kingdom hinted at her own wedding that she was seeing another man! Do you know all the implications that will raise? You ruined all of our hard work!" Isis finally wrenched her arm away and rubbed the sore spot where he had gripped her so hard. She was certain that she would bruise, but that didn't matter. She needed to stall as much as possible to try and prevent the inevitable.

"Seeing another man? Really? That's the conclusion you jump to? Have you ever considered that Gumball might be a childhood friend?"

"The expression on your face when you said his name would prove otherwise." He countered with a grim look on his face. Isis stared. It was not news that he didn't care about her, but he did care about her reputation. And why wouldn't he? The reputation of his Queen would reflect his own. In a way, she understood his concern.

"But only you would know that. To anyone else who asks, just say that you have an uncanny resemblance to a childhood friend. Which, on the surface, is entirely true. Even my father could vouch for that. He might not know the name of our stable boy—"

"Stable boy? You mean the one you brought with you?" Isis winced and wished she could take that back. She hadn't been thinking and had revealed something crucial to him. That was two slip ups in a matter of hours! What was wrong with her?

J.R. ran a hand over his face and glared at her. "Please tell me you had some common sense and didn't meet him at odd times in the night." Isis scoffed, indignant at such an accusation.

"Of course not! I'm not stupid!"

"Good." That was all the warning she got. Catching her off guard, J.R. rushed forward and pushed her onto the bed. He fell along with her and they landed in a tangle of limbs. The new Candy King grinned maliciously down at her as he pinned both of Isis's arms to her sides so she couldn't move. Since her arms were pinned, Isis didn't have the leverage to buck him off. She kicked and squirmed and tried to get J.R. off, her panic rising with each passing minute. The wedding gown she wore seemed to disintegrate beneath his hands and before she knew it, Isis was left in just her undergarments. Things were getting out of hand very fast. She opened her mouth to scream but he silenced her with a punch to her jaw.

"Shut it, Princess," he sneered at her, hitting her again for good measure. "You're mine now. Just be lucky that I was kind enough to wait this long to take what's mine." He hooked a finger around the band of her underwear and yanked, leaving her exposed and vulnerable beneath him. Her body shook with revulsion and disgust as he pawed at her breasts roughly, clearly enjoying himself. Again, she was powerless against her fate. Was this really happening? She, the Princess of the Ice Kingdom and the new Queen of the Candy Kingdom, was reduced to this? "You're going to pay for all the trouble you caused." She could feel how eagerly he wanted to punish her for her misdeeds. Disgusted, Isis spat in his face and renewed her struggle against him. He didn't budge as he calmly wiped her spit off his face. When he finally looked down at her Isis found herself shrinking away from the fury in his eyes. "Not to mention how you treat me. Now is that how you're supposed to treat your new husband?" He waved his hand and her arms moved like they had a mind of their own. They pulled him down close enough for J.R. to kiss her. Another shudder of revulsion pulsed through her as he pulled away, her arms falling back to her sides, pinned down by an unseen force. He grinned.

"Now that's better." Isis's mind was reeling. He could use magic? When did he—she froze when he started to remove his pants. Her eyes widened and she started to struggle again. Though she didn't know why his actions surprised her. There was only one way this night was going to end. She sent a silent plea to the Goddess that this was a nightmare, that she would wake up soon. Her prayers were not answered. Disgusted at his bare form, she looked away, but he grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. "You will watch, my Princess, and enjoy it." He waved his hand again but Isis felt no different. With a haughty laugh she moved to turn her head but found that she couldn't. J.R. laughed before taking her roughly.

For awhile, pain was all Isis could think about, but soon her body went numb and Isis just closed her eyes and imagined she was someplace else.

_**xxXXxx**_

She woke up sore. Every time she moved it was painful. J.R. was nowhere to be found, no doubt frolicking with the maids. He was King now after all. Normal rules like being faithful to your wife didn't apply to him anymore. Not like she cared.

Isis heard a knock at the door and tried to cover herself to maintain some sort of modesty. "C-Come in…" She croaked, surprised that such a weak sound came from her own mouth. Pepper poked her head inside and had a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Your Majesty! I came to serve you—" One look at Isis and her friend rushed over. She took all of it in: Isis's hollowed look, the sodden sheets, the blood, and her face held only sorrow. "…I'll go get you new sheets, Your Majesty." Pepper had reverted back to her role as a simple maid, unsure how else to respond. It was the safe route, a route that had kept her out of trouble for many years. Though the minute the words left Pepper's mouth, she regretted them. The look of pain and betrayal on Isis's face made her scurry to the door to do her duties, to ignore the suffering of her friend, her Queen.

When Pepper was gone, Isis slumped against the headboard, letting the sheet fall away. Everywhere she looked there was blood. She just put her head in her hands and wept.

Isis soon crawled out of her bed and hobbled over to the shower to clean herself up, though she knew that no matter how hard she scrubbed she would never feel clean again. When she exited the shower, she saw that some clothes had been laid out for her. Mechanically, Isis put them on before leaving the bathroom where a newly made bed mocked her. It was as if nothing had happened, the whole event erased from memory. No one would remember it, or pretend not to, but she would. It was a memory that would stay with her for the rest of her days. But…she placed a hand on her stomach. There was one thing that she could prevent.

The new Queen scurried off to find a maid. She quickly found one and asked her to send a letter to the Ice Kingdom requesting a book of spells.

For the next few weeks, Isis could only wait anxiously for her book to arrive. The sooner the better, for the possibility of carrying that monster's child filled her with dread. There was enough trouble in the world with one J.R. roaming about. There was no way she was going to let him create another one.

Pepper, of all maids, brought her the book she had requested. Her friend refused to look her in the eye the entire time, finding an excuse to scurry away like the coward she was as soon as possible. Isis gripped the book tightly to her chest. She had thought Pepper had been her friend, but she had forgotten a rule her father had drilled into her head years ago: servants can never be your friends. They'll betray you before they'll stand up for you. Servants were only meant to be disposable pawns and nothing more. Isis stared after Pepper. She had learned her lesson. It was another thing she wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Alone in her own private chambers, Isis opened her book and scanned its contents, stopping when she found the spell she had wanted. She placed another tender hand on her stomach and searched her heart. Was this something she really wanted to do? What if she could raise him on her own? Without J.R.'s influence? Isis quickly shook the thought away. There was no way J.R. would let his child be reared without a father. A father was too important a role, regardless of the gender of the child. Isis felt a few tears fall before she quickly swiped at her eyes. No. She couldn't cry now. She had a job to do.

Keeping her hand on her stomach, Isis first muttered the enchantment that would freeze any eggs that happened to be fertilized inside of her. It was too early in her possible pregnancy for there even to be a fetus. To think that it was just a normal cell in her body that she was getting rid of eased some of the ache in her heart. This spell was just a precaution to ensure that any pregnancy would never begin. With the deed done, Isis wasn't surprised to find tears staining her cheeks. This was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, but it had to be done. It had to.

This was what she kept telling herself as she searched the book for her next problem. She had to stop the possibility of her becoming pregnant ever again. It wasn't long before she found a herb: benumb frost. It was a herb that could be grown in relatively any climate, but she knew none of them grew in the Gardens. She would have to plant her own. Again, Isis sent for a maid and asked for the seeds, making the maid swear that she would tell no one of what she bought. She didn't know if anyone in the Candy Kingdom was familiar with such a herb. The herb she sought had a variety of names, so she prayed that the shop keeper of the floral shop would have an idea of what she wanted.

Hours later the maid returned with the requested seeds. Isis could barely contain her sigh of relief. Now, even if J.R. did take her again, there was no possible way she could ever have his child. She splayed her fingers against her stomach, surprised at the twinge of regret that she felt. Isis had always wanted children, a family of her own, a family that she could love in a way that her father had never done for her. And what she wanted most of all was to be there for her children so they would never have to grow up wondering what it was like to have a mother. Those were the mistakes of her parents that she would make right with her own children…when she was with someone she truly loved. Her hand bunched the fabric across her stomach into a fist hard enough that her knuckles turned white. First J.R. had taken her from her home, her family, had taken her dignity, her power, and now her desire to have a family. Was there nothing this man would take from her?

Clutching the precious bag of seeds to her chest, Isis dashed to the gardens with a sense of urgency that made the servants whisper. Her movements were frantic as she tried to find some bare spot in the gardens to plant her herbs. The more she searched, the more frantic she became. She just had to find one spot! That was it! Was that too much to ask for? Why didn't the Goddess at least grant her that one little wish? Why was She so silent to her pleas? Tears rolled down her cheeks once more, making her vision swim. This was it then. She'd never find a spot for her herbs and she would be forced to do that spell every time J.R. decided to play with her. Just the thought of doing that again made Isis begin to sob. How could she be strong enough to perform that spell again and again? She couldn't even keep that man off her!

Isis felt a hand on the crook of her elbow. She flinched so badly that the gardener quickly mumbled his apologies, but he didn't move away. Her scalding gaze fell on him, her voice cold as she regarded the concerned servant. "What is it you want?" Despite her attempt to make the gardener leave her alone in her misery, Isis was unable to keep her voice from shaking. Her throat felt tight and sore from all the crying she had done on this day alone. When had she become so weak? Or had she never been that strong to begin with? The thought made her spiral down even further into her misery. Goddess, she was pathetic. All this self-pity…was this she had felt all these years? All these years she had thought she had been angry at her fate, but all this time she had just been sorry for herself?

"Excuse me, Your Majesty," The gardener began bravely, bowing his head deeply in respect. It was deep enough to be mocking, but Isis didn't know if she was reading too much into it. She wasn't in the right state of mind to be analyzing behavior. "But I believe I can help you with what you are searching for. Are you looking for a certain plant? I have some lovely flowers that match your beautiful eyes." Isis stared at the elderly gardener, the first kind soul to be nice to her after her horrible night. What had she done to deserve such kindness? She felt completely vulnerable under the gaze of this man, this man who had eyes that seemed to peer into her soul. It would be so easy to let him in, to confide in him. An image of Pepper flashed in her mind and Isis immediately threw her walls back up. She couldn't let anyone in, not now. Not when she was at her most vulnerable. Isis had done nothing to deserve his kindness. He was only treating her this way because she was his Queen, nothing more. He didn't care about her. She was probably standing in some very valuable grass. Without a word, she shoved the small bag of seeds she was carrying towards the man. The gardener, who was in fact a sugar cube, observed the bag before turning his eyes back to her. "Did you wish to plant these?" Isis nodded her head stiffly and the gardener smiled happily, as if she had shown him the utmost kindness. "Wonderful! Follow me, Your Majesty!" Since she couldn't do anything else, Isis followed.

"I didn't peg you for the type who did gardening, Your Majesty, you being from the Ice Kingdom and all, but I'd be happy to show you!" Isis stared at the bouncing cube, completely oblivious to her sour mood. He was so happy to teach her his trade that Isis wondered if anyone even bothered to talk to him, or if he had family. Isis, realizing where her thoughts were going, immediately shut down that train of thought. She would not show any interest towards this man. Servants were only pawns to do her bidding. That was all. However, as she watched him, it was hard for Isis to keep that mindset as they reached a small patch that had been untouched. "This little patch was for J.R. when he was younger." Isis stiffened at the mention of her husband's name, but the gardener had his back to her and didn't notice. "His mother, Queen Lollipop, had kept this for him, hoping he would take her interest in flowers. He never did though, but…" He looked over at her and Isis had to bite down her smile as his eyes twinkled at her. "You are his wife, no? And what is his is also yours! So you can plant your little flowers here!" He patted the ground next to her and Isis lowered herself to the ground. The gardener then began to show her how to plant seeds. Apparently one didn't just throw them onto the ground and leave them. Ashamed by her ignorance, Isis listened, enraptured by all the knowledge that the little sugar cube possessed.

After a long explanation, the gardener reached for the bag of seeds. Isis quickly pulled them away though and the gardener raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to see what they are sooner or later, my dear Queen." Isis lowered her eyes. She couldn't argue with that logic. Reluctantly, she gave him the bag of seeds and the gardener opened it. He examined the seeds and Isis watched him closely. She was able to see the moment he realized what they were. Obviously it had been a seed he hadn't been completely familiar with since it took him awhile to realize what he was holding. However, instead of prying and asking why she wanted to plant these in the first place, the gardener just smiled at her and continued with his explanation. In no time, all the seeds for her herbs were planted. Isis clapped her hands together by her cheek and sighed at the sight. When she was about to thank the little cube for all his help, the gardener cut her off by raising his hand.

"There's a couple things I have to tell you, Your Majesty. These herbs will provide more seeds when they have reached their full potential. However, they grow rather quickly and need constant attention, constant enough that you will not have the time to give them the proper care that they need." About to protest, Isis was about to say something but the man raised his hand again. She fell silent and let him continue. "I am willing to take care of them for you, and…keep them hidden from the other gardeners. They would not be so understanding about the herbs your are trying to create." Isis looked away, unable to deny the shame that surfaced inside of her. As Queen, it was her sole duty to produce an heir for the throne, yet with these herbs, she would be unable to perform her only role. She felt his hand on hers and Isis looked back at the gardener. His eyes held nothing but kindness. "I am not fooled by the kindness J.R. shows around his subjects. I know who he really is under those smiles. Your Majesty, your secret is safe with me. No one will know of this. In fact, act like you do not know me when you leave. It would be safer that way." Again, she was about to protest, but the little cube held a finger to her lips. "It would be safer." He repeated and Isis nodded, getting to her feet. The old little cube remained on his knees, his kind face looking up at her. Isis felt the tears rolling down her face again as she bowed deeply to this man, someone who had shown her kindness and love when she had felt so alone.

"Thank you." She said, her voice a choked whisper. He placed a gentle and comforting hand on her head. "Thank you." She repeated, her voice stronger as she straightened before walking away. She didn't look back.


	7. Threats Fulfilled

It seemed like her life had turned into a routine. She would get up, get dressed, eat, perform her Queenly duties during the day and night, and then went to bed. It was a constant cycle that didn't seem to have an end. She truly thought she was going to go insane. Day in and day out her life was always the same. Was she doomed to live like this for the rest of her life? To always be the shadow behind her husband?

Her relationship with Pepper had slowly mended over the years she spent at the Candy Kingdom, though she had a feeling that was because Pepper was her personal maid. They were going to see each other constantly anyway, so why not repair their relationship? Still, no matter how much they smiled and laughed, Isis couldn't forget how Pepper had just walked away when she had needed her most.

Since Pepper was no longer the escape that she needed, Isis found herself back in the stables, finding solace in the one person she knew she could trust: Gumball.

"Do you really think you should be down here all the time?" Gumball asked Isis a bit hesitantly one day. He was brushing Skye's flank with a fierce concentration that told her Gumball was trying his best not to look at her. Isis peered over at him from the other side of Skye with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you not want me here?" She countered with a coy smile when Gumball glanced up at her. He looked away quickly, his cheeks burning. Isis choked down a giggle as she waited for the answer she knew he was going to give.

"You know that's not what I mean!" He fell silent and Isis cocked her eyebrow again.

"Well?" She prompted and Gumball grumbled something unintelligible, rubbing the back of his head. Isis grinned at the sight. He didn't like being put on the spot, but it was the few things that made her feel better these days. Gumball then straightened and walked around Skye to face her. Sensing a change in the mood, Isis turned slowly to face him and soon they were only inches apart.

"Isis, you know I love having you here, but you can't come to the stables so often. You already have to convince the kingdom that we're only childhood friends, but that'll be hard to prove if you spend more time with me than your husband." Now it was Isis's turn to look away. Sometimes she regretted telling Gumball what had happened at her wedding. At first he had been in utter shock that J.R. was practically his twin when he was clean shaven, but the shock was only temporary. He was aghast that Isis had actually said his name. Gumball had been wondering why he was suddenly the center of attention among the servants. However, he had also been afraid. What if J.R. decided to dispose of him? When Gumball had shared his concerns with her, Isis had sworn that she would never let that happen, and came down to the stables often to make sure he was still there. If she was able to see the love of her life more often…well, that was just a bonus.

"I know, but I have to make sure nothing happens to you!" Gumball just stared and Isis knew then that he knew the real reason why she had been visiting him so often. "Well it's true." She mumbled stubbornly and Gumball shook his head with a smile. He let one of her hands fall to grasp the other one with both of his hands.

"How about we send each other letters? That way, you'll know that I'm okay." Isis saw so many holes in that plan, but Gumball was worried for her, and she couldn't argue the fact that she needed to find another way to spend her time. The two shared a smile before returning to groom the impatient Skye. It wasn't long before Isis was heading back up to the Candy Castle. All the fabric she was wearing made the small trek seem like it went on for miles. By the time she reached the castle gates Isis felt like she was about to die.

"Down at the stables again?" Isis froze at the sound of J.R.'s voice. She turned to see her husband leaning against their bedroom wall. When she turned to face him, J.R. got off his perch and strode towards her. She backed away to keep her distance.

"And what if I was?"

"Well your favorite stable boy might disappear if you keep this up." Isis stiffened and J.R. laughed at her reaction.

"What? Did you think I was just going to let you keep seeing him? Stay away from that stable boy, or you'll regret it." The threat hung in the air, shaking Isis down to her core. Regret it? What could he mean by that? Various scenarios ran through her head, and none of them were good for Gumball. She didn't doubt that J.R. meant what he said, that his threat was real. He would stop at nothing to make sure…make sure of what? To keep her miserable? Isis could never figure out what his true goal in their marriage was. He was doing a spectacular job at keeping her miserable though. Isis looked away and clenched her fists, her white bangs hiding her facial expression. She heard J.R. smirk and she whirled back to face him.

"What game are you playing at J.R.?" She demanded angrily while J.R. continued to watch her with this amused look on his face that only added to her fury. He was always putting her down and making her life a living hell. Wasn't it enough that they had been forced to marry each other? J.R. sent the message loud and clear that he didn't like her, she got that, but why all this torment? What could he possibly gain from treating her like his property? "You treat me like I'm lower than the ground you walk on; why?" She continued, her voice raising with each syllable until she realized, a bit too late, that she was shouting at him. Isis, remembering the charade they had to play, quickly lowered her voice and listened. There were no footsteps outside their bedroom door, so they were alone. Isis couldn't determine if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Almost casually J.R. strode over to her until they were inches apart and Isis had to resist the temptation to back away from the man in front of her. He was unpredictable and that made Isis wary.

"It's simple really," he began, his tone mockingly slow as if he were talking to a small, ignorant child, "You. Are. Mine." With each word he jabbed a finger into her chest, making her take a step back each time he did so. "Which means I can treat you however I want. I can treat you well, I can treat you badly…it just depends how I feel. Of course, that's not the only reason though." Placing his hands behind his back, J.R. strolled across the room before turning to face her with a smile. She didn't like that smile. "You are rather unruly for someone I had been promised would be a docile and obedient wife. From the moment I met you I knew you were spoiled rotten by that pathetic man you call a father." Isis bristled at the insult and snarled, but J.R. paid her no mind. He never did. She was insignificant, barely something to be considered when it came to her husband.

"So," He continued as he strolled to the window and peered out to his Kingdom below. She could only imagine what he saw whenever he looked outside. Happy subjects? Or pawns to be controlled? She guessed it was the latter. "there's only way to deal with an unruly child: make them respect you." He looked over at her with that smile again and Isis wanted to squirm under his gaze. "And I've learned that the fastest way to gain respect is to instill a little fear." J.R. smiled even wider as he held out his hand out to her as if he knew exactly what was going to happen next.

And he did.

Isis instinctively moved to across the room to take his hand without thinking. She moved to preserve herself for a variety of reasons: to keep from being struck, to avoid his wrath that always ended with her suffering, to keep him from attacking the ones she cared about, but all her reasons centered around one concept: fear. In many ways she was his trained little lap dog and she couldn't do anything about it without dealing with the consequences that would come from her insubordination. As J.R. gazed down at her with a triumphant glee she merely stared at their interlocked hands.

She hated him. With every fiber of her soul. He had reduced her to a sniveling wife that came to his beck and call in a matter of months. He had taken practically everything she had held dear. But not only did she hate him, she hated herself. She had allowed this to happen. No matter what excuses she made for herself, it was the truth. She knew her strengths. She could have struck back with her fists, or even what little magic she controlled in this realm, but she hadn't. Why? Because she had been afraid. Her father had thrown everything he had into this marriage. He needed the Candy Kingdom's support to ward of the Fire Kingdom's attempts to take over their land, and J.R. was holding his end of the bargain. The Fire Kingdom's forces were held at bay for the four years that had passed after their holy marriage while Luke's reign had slowly deteriorated the Ice Kingdom internally.

The Ice Kingdom was a mess. The economy was collapsing with each passing day. Her home lived off the profit they made from harvesting seal and whale oil, pelts of the animals they killed, and the crystals they scavenged from the terrain. However, with the Candy Kingdom soldiers marching through their –well, Luke's—land armed with the hunting rights that her father had granted…the Candy Kingdom was literally hoarding all of the Ice Kingdom's wealth. The Ice Kingdom had no source of income and with the Candy Kingdom not deploying all of their soldiers, like they should, the Fire Kingdom was a constant threat to her brother's reign. The people had lost all hope in their new ruler, their once beloved Prince now the despised King. What little wealth the Ice Kingdom got, Luke hoarded it all for himself to support his lavish lifestyle. He had no concern for the people he ruled and brought the Ice subjects nothing but misery and famine.

Her father could only watch as his Kingdom slowly wasted away into nothing.

Isis had to be good, had to make this marriage work, if only for her father, but as she looked into J.R.'s eyes, Isis knew that she could live like this no longer. It was time to take matters into her own hands.

_**xxXXxx**_

That night Isis tracked down Pepper.

The little peppermint maid had been suspicious but obediently followed Isis into her private bedchambers. Honestly, as if she had a choice.

"Pepper, I need you to swear fealty to me." The maid, who had calmly been sipping tea, sputtered the hot liquid everywhere and looked up at Isis in shock.

"What?"

"I need you to swear fealty to me." Isis repeated with little patience as Pepper slowly set the tea cup down on the little table.

"I don't see why that's necessary, Your Majesty. I am already loyal to you and His Majesty J.R…." Isis sighed and pinched the skin between her eyes.

"That's the point. I want you to swear fealty to me, and only me." With every word that Isis uttered Pepper steadily grew more and more uncomfortable. Her eyes darted wildly and she shifted in her seat almost constantly.

"W-Why are you asking me? Shouldn't you ask a guard or something? That would be a better choice if you want to commit treason." Isis laughed harshly and leaned in close to the peppermint maid.

"Treason? I never said such a thing."

"But you want me to swear fealty to only you, so you must have a plan that you need me for." Isis leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. Pepper was obviously smarter than Isis gave her credit for, but any individual could have figured that out. It wasn't rocket science. She tried to figure out how to proceed. Obviously Pepper wasn't going to swear her fealty at this rate. She thought about just ordering the maid to make the oath, but she knew an order wasn't strong enough. Pepper would have no problem breaking it and reporting Isis to the King, and she had experienced the last of J.R.'s wrath.

Isis got up from her chair and walked over to her cabinet. Pepper watched her warily as Isis searched the cabinet of the jar she wanted. She spotted it way in the back. It was covered in dust, but when she blew it away the jar was green. Turning back around she wandered back to the table they were sitting at and sat down, pulling out a few herbs from the jar.

"What are those?" Pepper asked warily and Isis smiled sweetly at the worried maid.

"It's only mint my dear." She lied smoothly as she ground the herbs into a fine dust. She then mixed the powder into the two cups of tea and handed one to Pepper. The entire time the maid had been watching her with a disbelieving eye, probably thinking that Isis was going to kill her. However, Pepper obediently took the cup and held it in her hand, watching the Queen expectantly. Isis smiled. _Smart girl_, she thought to herself before Isis held her own cups to her lips, pretending to swallow.

"See? Nothing dangerous. Now go on, drink." Pepper glanced at her tea a bit doubtfully but did as she was told. The face she made told Isis that the brew tasted horrible, but the maid dutifully drank every last drop. Perfect. "Now," Isis began, setting her full cup onto the table, "you _will_ swear fealty to me." Pepper sighed and wiped a hand against her forehead. Isis could already see the beads of sweat starting to form on the maid's brow.

"This again, Your Majesty? My loyalty is for both the King and the Queen. I will not swear fealty to just you." Pepper persisted before she began to fan herself. "Aren't you hot, Your Majesty?" She panted a bit distractedly, glancing at the tea she had drunk. Isis just calmly folded her hands in her lap.

"Oh, I think you will, considering you just drank a lethal dose of poison." Pepper froze and slowly turned to face her Queen, shock etched into her aged features.

"Poison…?" She repeated, her voice holding only disbelief.

"Yes, poison. And only I have the antidote. Now, if you wish to see tomorrow, you will swear your fealty to me now." Isis gave up her façade of friendliness and stared down the frightened maid, her voice as hard as flint. Pepper began to shake in her chair, although Isis wasn't sure if it was because she was frightened or convulsing. "Tick tock, m'dear. You don't have much time left." Isis warned as she watched the maid fight some internal struggle. Pepper was silent for the longest time before she lowered her head in defeat.

"I swear fealty to you Isis, Queen of the Candy Kingdom." Isis gleefully clapped her hands together.

"Perfect! Now if you just wait right there, I'll go fetch the antidote. I promise to be quick." She winked at Pepper before disappearing into her bathroom and out of sight. She closed the door behind her just to be sure before she knelt to the floor. Isis couldn't believe everything was going so well! Of course, this was just the preliminary stages of her plan. Pepper didn't know it yet, but she played a big role in the chaos that was about to unfold.

Isis quickly found the faux tile she was looking for and picked it up. Inside, nestled in a soft beige cloth, was the antidote to the poison she had given to Pepper. She picked up the liquid concoction before replacing the tile and heading back to the table where Pepper still sat, her head in her hands.

"Oh cheer up; at least you're not dying tonight." Isis told the woman with a hint of annoyance, practically flinging the antidote at Pepper. She fumbled the vial but caught it as Isis sat down, quickly downing its contents. In a matter of minutes Pepper was back to her normal pallor though she still shivered wildly.

"Tonight?" Pepper asked warily as she watched her Queen, an emotion flickering across the maid's face that Isis had never seen directed at her before: fear. Pepper was afraid of her, afraid of what she would do next. Isis smiled. The thrill the realization brought her sent a chill down her spine. If this was how it felt, Isis wasn't surprised that J.R. terrorized her all the time. The feeling was exhilarating. Oh how she had missed the feeling of being in control, of having power. She was the master here, not her husband.

"Well you didn't think this was the end of your ordeal, did you?" Isis retorted, her tone mocking. The look on Pepper's face told Isis that she had been thinking that. She only smiled again before continuing, leaning back against her chair and pressing her fingers together in a small teepee. "It's not my dear Pepper. You see, I have to make sure that you remain loyal to me no matter what, so…" Isis paused to make sure she had Pepper's full attention, "every day, I will make you consume this poison. It won't be as much as tonight, but eventually, after a couple of days, you will have to come for me for the antidote. Every three days to be exact. If you do not get the antidote from me you will die." Isis then leaned forward in her chair, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Your life is in my hands, Pepper, and the only way you will stay alive is if you remain loyal to me and do as I say. If I even think that you will betray me, you will be dead in the next hour. Do you understand me?" Pepper nodded quickly before Isis leaned back once more, dismissing the maid with a wave of her hand. "I will call you when I need you again."

The next couple nights went by smoothly. J.R. didn't suspect a thing, which was good. She had to lull him into a false sense of security, so she just had to act like she always did. Easy, right?

Wrong.

With her plan about to be set into action, Isis was fidgety. She couldn't seem to keep still no matter how hard she tried. Many times she had tried to convince herself just to not go through with it. The consequences she would face were horrendous if she ever got caught, but she couldn't think about that now. Isis refused to get cold feet. She was tired of living in fear. Her father would be ashamed if he could see his proud daughter now trembling at the feet of a man who did not deserve her. There was only one thing she could do, Isis told herself over and over again as the final night drew to an end, only one thing.

Isis was doing something that she had never done before: she planned a ball. Everyone in the Candy Kingdom was invited and ordered to dress in their best clothes for the event. They were celebrating the annual harvest to receive blessing from the Harvest Sprite. It was the first time it was made into a royal celebration though so the Kingdom was abuzz with excitement. It was all anyone could talk about as the day drew near. People were spinning their dresses and renting tuxedos, cooking food, decorating the ball room. It was going to be a grand event that everyone would talk about for years to come, and it was perfect for what she needed to do.

The night of the ball, the subjects of the Candy Kingdom were flooding into the doors to attend the party, honored to be invited. Music and the aroma of food were in the air as Isis observed what she had created. The large ballroom was filled with crystal chandeliers, making the room seem magical. The room was bathed in warm light that sparkled when reflected against the crystal decorations. People were dancing in pairs to soft music, chatting quietly to one another, but Isis new that wasn't going to last long. Someone was going to demand for a change of music and the elegant ball would turn into a raving party.

As if on cue, there was a change of music and suddenly everyone was dancing wildly and furniture became the new dance floor. Isis shook her head and gathered the fabric of her black dress. It had a sweet heart neckline and draped all the way to the floor with a slight train. White swirls weaved its way down the dress, ending at a hem of pearls that was getting a bit heavy to drag around. As she turned to leave Isis felt a hand on a wrist. Even through the fabric of her lace gloves her skin wanted to crawl away from the contact.

"What do you want, husband?" She asked irritably and looked over her shoulder to see J.R. with a tight lipped expression.

"Where are you going?"

"Does it matter?"

"You're the hostess of this ball. It's only fitting that you stay." Isis pursed her lips as well and reluctantly consented to stick around. She so badly wanted this charade to be over, but she had to keep up appearances. She stayed for a little longer then told her husband that she felt ill. J.R., of course, didn't care. He was too busy flirting with some of the younger girls wearing tiny pieces of cloth that could hardly be called underwear let alone a dress. She rolled her eyes, sickened. He would never change.

She was reading in her room when J.R. sauntered in. Isis sighed and slowly rose to her feet while he grinned over at her. It had gotten to the point that she never even resisted anymore when he wanted her. J.R., of course, hadn't been fond of that originally. He was sick enough to enjoy the fact that she fought back, it only turned him on more. So, to retaliate in the only way she could, Isis stopped fighting. She would just lay beneath him while he had his way with her. It was pathetic, but J.R. didn't complain. Why would he? He got a free lay every night.

Without a word J.R. strode over to her with an expectant gleam in his eye and moved to pull her into his arms. That was as far as he got. Isis raised her hands and placed them on his chest, her grip firm on the fabric of his clothing. Stunned, J.R. stood there for a moment before he grinned.

"Oh? Are you suddenly feisty again? You know I love a good fight."

Isis ignored him and concentrated fiercely on the spell she had memorized. She pushed all her worries aside, including the one that she would probably not have the power to complete this spell without her tiara. She began to quickly mutter a spell, clutching J.R.'s undershirt even tighter to keep him from moving. By now J.R. had picked up that something was wrong and was trying to break her grip on him.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?" He demanded angrily, practically clawing at her hands, but Isis held on. She wanted this so badly that nothing was going to stop her now. J.R.'s attempts to escape got more fierce with more time that passed, especially when he realized that she was nearing the end of her spell. However, with each word that passed through her lips, the King's movements became slower and slower due to the amount of ice that was accumulating inside him. Slowly and methodically the spell was freezing him from the inside out. By the time her spell was done J.R. stood menacingly before her, frozen. His expression was filled with hate as Isis pried her hands from his now iron grip. She accidentally broke a finger off and it bounced on the floor to hit her foot. Isis squealed and backed into the wall, her breaths coming out in wild pants as she stared at the man before her.

He didn't move.

At all.

It had worked…

It had worked!

Isis then began to laugh. It was slow at first, but it quickly built in its momentum until she needed the wall for support. She was free! Finally free of this man, and the most wonderful thing of all was that he was utterly powerless. No matter what she did, he could do nothing about it. Isis started laughing again. The tables had turned! Now she was the one that held the power, not him! She was the one who was in control! Isis's gaze leveled on J.R. and she smiled wickedly at him.

And boy did she have plans for him.

J.R. at least had the decency to appear frightened as she moved to the window. She opened the latch and flung it open before heading back to the frozen King. "I bet you're dying to know what I'm going to do." She told J.R. as she started to push him towards the window. "But you're smart; I know you can figure it out." She sneered before she pushed him over the edge, throwing the finger that had broken off after him.

Isis peered out the window to watch the ice statue fall. It landed on the ground with a loud shatter. Or she assumed. Isis couldn't hear a thing over the music.


	8. Without a Hitch

Pepper was right where she needed to be. She scurried out of the bushes and swept up the remains of J.R.'s body. Isis, knowing that he would have to be buried quickly since the ice would eventually thaw and the broken limbs rot, had ordered Pepper to bury the remains. Then, tomorrow morning, a casket would be lowered over J.R.'s remains. No one would ever suspect that the King's remains were under an already dug grave.

Isis supervised from her perch in the window, and when Pepper was done she scurried off to hide the evidence. Everything had gone according to plan and Isis couldn't have been happier. There was only one stage left in this plan and it was the most crucial if she wanted to get back to the Ice Kingdom. With a sigh, Isis fixed her hair and then sat down in her chair and opened her book for the wait.

_**xxx**_

Pepper was breathing heavily by the time she reached the stables, though she had no idea whether it was because she was old or because of the poison that now coursed through her veins. The thought that her life was now in Isis's hands still made her skin crawl. The Queen had changed over the years, the proud and kind girl she knew had turned into a hardened woman who refused to be walked on. She craved power more than ever now since she had been denied it for so long.

Pepper refused to acknowledge that she had been part of that change, though she sometimes lay awake at night, staring at her ceiling, wondering if Isis would be a different woman if she had helped her Queen that fateful day. Pepper did not dwell on that now though, not when her life was on the line. Isis had given her a job to do, and she would complete it in order to get that antidote. It was sad that her life had been reduced to this: living day to day like it could be her last.

Reaching the stables, the maid burst through the barn doors and ran into Gumball.

"Pepper! What's wrong?" Gumball asked, gently grasping her shoulders to steady her. Pepper, who was struggling to breathe, placed her hands on her knees while drawing in gasping breaths. It was so hard to talk, but she had to relay the message quickly or Isis would punish her.

"I-It's J.R.! He was murdered! I saw it with my own eyes!" She whispered after looking around over her shoulder to make sure that they were alone in the barn. Gumball's eyes widened and he gasped loudly, taking a step back.

"H-He's dead? " Pepper wanted to roll her eyes. What part of 'murdered' didn't he understand? Honestly, what Isis saw in him she would never know. She struggled to be patient with Gumball as she tried to push him in the right direction. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know! It all happened so fast!" To avoid trying to create some sort of wild story, Pepper decided to change tactics. "We have to go see if Isis is alright! She might be next!" She persisted and grabbed Gumball's hand. She didn't have to say it twice. They were both running back to the castle, Gumball chastising her the entire way for not checking on Isis first, the loophole in her story forgotten.

_**xxx**_

Isis was calmly reading her book when Gumball and Pepper burst into her bedroom door. She shrieked at the sudden bang and flew to her feet, her hand reaching into the folds of her dress to unsheathe a knife. She leaped over her chair and crouched behind it as a barrier in a matter of seconds. When she saw that it was just the two of them, Isis breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed her blade.

"Really you guys? You scared the Hell out of me!" She scolded with a light laugh until she saw the grim looks on their faces. Confused, she glanced between the both of them. "…What's wrong?" She asked slowly and it was Pepper and Gumball's turn to look at one another.

"Isis…" Gumball took a step forward, holding out his hand. She took it out of reflex, secretly glad that he couldn't even look her in the eye. Isis was practically bursting in her glee. She had to play this just right though. One thing said wrong and she would immediately be cast into suspicion. "J.R….he was murdered." Gumball finally looked at her and she remembered just in time to resume her façade.

Isis widened her eyes and took a staggering step back. "H-He's dead?" Pepper, out of sight from Gumball, rolled her eyes. Isis, seeing this, gave her a warning glance when Gumball pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry Isis! I know you guys didn't really get along, but no one deserves to die." Isis felt her jaw tighten before she realized it. If anyone deserved to die, that bastard did. Indignant at Gumball's ignorance for all that she had suffered, the anger she felt caused her to tremble violently, only causing Gumball to cling to her tighter. The fool thought she was crying! If only he realized what she was really thinking. "What're we going to tell everyone?" Isis stilled and pulled away from Gumball.

"Tell? We can't tell anyone." She said matter-of-factly, wiping away at tears that she had forced to form in her eyes. Gumball looked shocked.

"What do you mean?! We have to tell _someone_! People are bound to notice that their King is missing, Isis." He argued but Isis silenced him when she held up a hand.

"Gumball. Think about it. It's no secret, as you pointed out, that our marriage wasn't exactly perfect like we were pretending it to be. When people find out that he's dead, who're they going to look to first? Me!" She reasoned logically, her nerves causing her to gesture wildly as her explanation got more frantic. Thank the Goddess it was the right situation for her to be so on edge or Isis would have given herself away right then and there. "We can't tell anyone!"

"But you weren't even near the scene of the crime!" If only Gumball knew. She just made it look that way. However, she was still playing the part, so Isis just gave him a flat look. There was a long pause before Gumball groaned loudly, running a hand through his hair like she knew he would. "So you just want us to hide it? How're we supposed to do that?" He demanded, grumpy in his defeat. Gumball couldn't argue with her logic. She could've been in another country and people would have looked at her funny.

Isis stared blatantly for a moment, cocking her hand on her hip, which made Gumball shift uncomfortably on his feet. "What?" He demanded just as she took a step forward, her eyes on his hair. Him running his hand through his hair had given Isis the opportunity she needed to make this work.

"Wait a minute…" Reaching up, Isis mussed up his hair with both of her hands till it was a tangled mess. Excited, she then turned Gumball around so he faced her bedroom mirror. He gasped loudly and leaned in close, rubbing his jaw with a disbelieving hand.

"You weren't kidding when you said I looked like him."

"Looked like him? You two could have been twins!" Isis exclaimed. "Don't you see Gumball? You could pretend to be J.R.!" Gumball froze, his eyes darting over to her.

"You're joking right?"

"No! This is perfect!"

"But I don't know the first thing about running a kingdom!" He protested, turning to face her so he could plead his case better. Isis, this stage of her plan finally on a roll, refused to give up now. Pepper, who had been standing quietly in a corner, piped up at the right on cue.

"Uh, Gumball…_Sir_…I could help you. I've spent enough time around the royals to know the basics. Enough for us to get by, and you'll learn more as you go." Isis clapped her hands together, beaming.

"Wonderful! We have a plan!" Gumball had turned back to the mirror, running his hand over his face.

"Do you really think this is going to work….?" He asked quietly and Isis nodded, coming up behind Gumball and placing a comforting hand on his back. Gumball looked up at her and then smiled, taking her breath away with such a simple action. "Well then I'm going to have to grow a beard. The only time J.R. looked this neat was on his wedding day!" Isis cracked a smile as Gumball stood up and, to her surprise, wrapped her in his arms. "So…that means we're technically married, right?" Isis, still very much surprised –her first real emotion since this whole conversation started—blushed madly which only made Gumball grin even wider.

"I-I suppose…"

"So…that means we can stay in the same room?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Isis, aghast at his audacity, smacked him on the arm with a laugh.

"I just lost my husband!" She berated, smiling to show that she was teasing.

"So…that's a maybe?" They both laughed while Pepper stood in her corner, sick to her stomach and ashamed at what she was a part of.


	9. An Easy Win

"Gumball, I have to go back to the Ice Kingdom."

"What? Why!?" Gumball whined, propping himself on his elbow to look at her. Isis turned on her side as well, the bed sheets doing a poor job of covering them both. Not that they minded.

"Because the people are rebelling! And Luke is doing a poor job of containing the situation. If I don't remedy the situation, the Fire Kingdom will take its chance and seize my home." Isis reached out and caressed Gumball's cheek with a sad smile. She hated to leave him, especially now when they were closer than ever. Literally. She scooted closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her as she nuzzled his neck. "The Ice Kingdom's my home. I have to save it."

"I know Isis, but why can't you just give Luke some advice and send more troops over to the Ice Kingdom?" He mumbled into her hair after kissing it, pulling her even closer to him. Isis gave a content sigh, enjoying Gumball's warmth for a moment. It was nice to know that he didn't want her to leave either, but it only made this even harder. She knew it had to happen eventually though. She had already stalled long enough by staying for almost a month. Time was of the essence and Isis had dilly-dallied long enough.

"You know I can't do that. By the time my message gets to him Luke would be overthrown and the Fire Kingdom would have taken over before the troops even made it halfway to the Ice Kingdom. I need to leave now, Gumball." The playful whining continued as he tried to persuade her with showers of kisses, but as tempting as it was to stay one more week, she had to leave.

That morning Isis had her horse prepped for the long trip to her home Kingdom. Gumball went to wave her off and smiled when she saw him walking down the castle entrance. He wrapped her in another hug and Isis was willing to throw the rest of her plan away. Wasn't she satisfied with what she had now? The ruse was working fine, no one suspected a thing with Pepper aiding the supposed King, and she was with Gumball, her one true love, and they were happy. Wasn't that enough?

Deep in her heart she knew it wasn't.

Her old home called out to her, an old dream slowly coming back to life. A dream that she had put to rest a long time ago: becoming the Ice Queen. Isis knew, selfish as it was, that she would not be truly happy until she ruled the Ice Kingdom as well. So, with a heavy heart, she pulled away from Gumball, a sad smile on her face.

Pepper stood behind the embracing lovers, quiet as a mouse, but didn't escape detection. Isis could sense the poison that was still soaring through her veins. She had ordered the chefs to cook Pepper's meal separate from the others with the herbs she had given the maid that fateful night she had sworn fealty to her. When they locked eyes, the amount of hatred that festered in Pepper's eyes made her smile mockingly at the servant. The old woman hated that her life was in the hands of some pompous young Queen, never mind the fact that Pepper would constantly have to traverse between the two kingdoms in order to retrieve the antidote that would save her from her horrible fate. Isis held little pity for the woman as she turned back to Gumball. She put a hand to his cheek.

"Do not despair, dear husband, for I shall return to thee." Gumball gave his own attempt to smile as he stroked her face. Again, Isis second guessed herself. Could she really leave him? Was she making the right choice? This would be the first time they would be apart in almost the entirety of their lives. They locked eyes and this time Gumball smiled for real. He gave her a gentle, but forceful, push towards her mare.

"Go on! If you don't leave now, I'll never let you go." Isis smiled despite her sadness at their parting, mounting her horse. She held the reins and looked down at Gumball who inclined his head towards the castle gates, the exit. "You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't go."

If he only knew.

With new determination, Isis gave a brisk nod before jabbing the horse in its ribs with the heels of her feet. The mare burst into a gallop and they both left the Candy Kingdom on light feet and heavy hearts.

When she reached the Ice Kingdom border after a night's travel, much faster than a messenger would have dared run, Isis quickly ditched her royal garb and donned the clothing of a wife in mourning. A few days before she had set out on her long ride to her home, Isis had sent out a message to her brother and father that J.R. had died. She did not specify why or how, just that she was going to visit them for she needed the company. Reaching the castle, they welcomed her with open arms and arranged a private room for her with all that she needed. Isis flopped down on her bed and stared at the familiar ceiling. It was so good to be home!

The next day the three gathered in the family commons room and reminisced about the past while discussing the present and future. When Isis questioned about the health of the Ice Kingdom, the mood of the conversation quickly sobered. Luke looked away and the former Ice King took her hand.

"My daughter, your home is not how it once was. Riots happen daily as people demand to be fed and pay less for taxes. My –I mean, Luke's—men are attacked without reason. Every day I must visit families to inform them that their son or father is not coming home. Sometimes both. It's a heart breaking business, and my own heart grows weary. Not to mention that the Fire Kingdom is at our borders waiting for there to be coup so they can overrun the Ice Kingdom and pillage the town as they please. Then the Candy Kingdom," Her father's tone grew thick with contempt and it irked her. Until then Isis hadn't realized that she had considered the Candy Kingdom her home, and she did not appreciate how her father talked about it. Nonetheless, she held her tongue while he continued to mourn the deterioration of his Kingdom. She remembered, absently, that her folks should have been comforting her, not whining and complaining about how they couldn't run a Kingdom. Her sympathy quickly hardened as she continued to listen. "continue to reap the benefits of their hunting rights. Those troops are running this Kingdom dry! We have no source of income flowing the streets, to the point that even we are living like commoners." Isis had been polite enough not to mention that last night's dinner had been lacking, but apparently she hadn't kept her expressions in check. Luke, who had been silent the entire time, had slowly stiffened as her father moaned and groaned about their home. Isis had kept a careful eye on him, waiting for him to explode. She thought it a bit funny that it was not she who needed comforting, or pretended to need it anyway, but her family instead. They were going to rip each other apart without her help.

Luke finally lurched out of his chair, Isis realized that he had not, in fact, been drinking tea, and his wrath ensued.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" He raged while their father looked at him calmly.

"Did I mention your name anywhere, Luke?"

"Well, no, but you're talking about my reign! That's just like talking about me!" Their father just shook his head which only seemed to make Luke angrier. "What? Are you ashamed of me, Father? Ashamed of how I handle things? That I didn't turn out to be the prodigy son you wanted me to be?" He demanded, the smell of liquor rolling off him in waves. Isis was really surprised that she hadn't noticed the smell earlier. Luke took a step forward and lost his balance, crashing to the floor. His head nicked the corner of the wooden table as he fell, landing on the ground, barely conscious. Isis was on her feet in a moment and rushing over, but her father failed to move. Or refused to.

"Look everyone, the proud King of the Ice Kingdom." He muttered mockingly to himself, his face covered in shame as he walked out to leave his children to their own devices.

When she reached Luke, she tried to prop him up, but he was too heavy. Servants scrambled into the room to help and eventually they all got him to his room where they tended to him. Isis tried to wrap her head around what had happened. Her father, who had only showed love to Luke, was now ashamed of him? Why hadn't he offered his own advice to help Luke? It wasn't like he had no say in the Kingdom anymore and the state of their home was his fault as much as Luke's. What had caused their relationship to deteriorate so much?

Luke, after much prodding, finally awoke and looked surprised to see her there, holding a cool cloth to his warm forehead.

"Oh, Isis, we have missed you so." She could only assume that 'we' meant him and their father but she quickly shushed him.

"Rest. Recover. We can talk when you feel better." Luke didn't seem to need to be told twice since he fell promptly asleep. Isis, despite herself, smiled at her brother. It was indeed a shame that the King of the Ice Kingdom had been reduced to such drunken stupors. Maybe she could use that to her advantage.

While Luke was sleeping peacefully, Isis walked the halls of her home. Her plans at the Candy Kingdom had gone without a hitch, but here at the Ice Kingdom, things were unpredictable. The once familiar servants were now entirely new faces, faces she didn't plan on trusting anytime soon. She had to figure out how to ascend the throne though, and fast. According to her home custom, the grieving wife of a deceased husband only had a month to mourn. After that, the woman was expected to take up the role of her husband, or simply look for a new one. Since she obviously could not do the latter due to her arrangement of Gumball posing as King, then she would have to pretend to take on the role of the new ruler of the Candy Kingdom. Isis shook her head. That wasn't possible. She could maybe fool Luke, but not her father. That charade would not last long. Her father would see past her lies quickly. Besides, she would never be able to rule the Ice Kingdom if Luke was still on the throne. So…the answer was simple.

She would have to dispose of them.

Isis shook her head. Why was she thinking of this now? Wasn't that her intention when she set out to come home? She rubbed her hand across her face. Maybe she wanted to think that there would be another way for her to ascend the throne, but Isis knew better. The only way she could rule the Ice Kingdom was if she put matters into her own hands, just like when she bettered her life at the Candy Kingdom. Things had turned out wonderfully there.

Isis suddenly swore angrily at herself, causing herself to get a few stares from the servants busily scurrying to do their tasks. Was she really getting cold feet? She killed J.R. just fine! What made this scheme any different? Isis swore again because she knew exactly why.

These weren't some horrible oppressing husbands that beat and raped her whenever they had the chance. The people she needed to kill were her father and brother: family. She grew up with them and, damn it all, she still loved them. Isis still adored her father, even if he never really loved her till she did what he asked, and Luke…well, he was her brother so she had to love him, but liking him was a different story. But, despite all this love for them, they stood in the way of what she wanted. The Kingdom was suffering under Luke's rule and her father did nothing to stop it. She had to save her home. She had to rule.

It was her destiny.

Isis found a servant and told him to find her father and tell him to meet her in the dining hall before heading that way herself. When she arrived, the servants lollygagging quickly scattered and pretended to do something productive. Isis, resisting her urge to dismiss them, settled down at the table for the wait. The chefs, hearing she was in the dining room, quickly made a meal for her. As the food was being set down in front Isis her father walked into the room. He looked like he would rather be somewhere else. Isis frowned at her father, someone who used to be so familiar now looked like a stranger. He looked older and stooped over, his beard unkempt and his clothes disheveled. Gone was the father that took pride in his Kingdom and his appearance. He seemed to be the shell of a man. What had changed?

"You rang?" He muttered in a sarcastic tone and Isis's eyes narrowed even further but she said nothing about his tone.

"Father," she began, speaking loud enough for the servants to overhear, "come, sit with me." She gestured for him to take a seat across from her. As if with great reluctance, he moved to sit down and stared at her expectantly. Obviously, this was going to be a one sided conversation. "How is the state of the Kingdom?" Her father rubbed a hand across his face, a habit that she had picked up from him.

"Really, Isis? I explained this to you already. The people are rioting every day, demanding for food and money that we don't have. They're angry that they must pay so much for taxes and that soldiers are being housed in their homes so they can 'protect the streets.'" There was obviously more but her father refused to elaborate and Isis sighed inwardly. It looked like she was going to have to do all the foot work. She put on a surprised expression.

"Things are that bad? And you don't have any guards posted?" That gave her father pause. He looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean? Of course I haven't. Why should I? It's not like anyone listens to me anyway." He had muttered the last sentence bitterly and Isis couldn't help but think of how the tables were turned. She was the one who was calm and patient, trying to reason with a man acting like the sullen teenager she used to be. Isis had no idea how her father had dealt with her for all those years because she felt like throttling him.

"Because, father, the people are unhappy. Is it really that much of a leap to think that they'll take matters into their own hands?"

"What do you mean?" He repeated, propping his chin in his hand. Isis took a deep breath and struggled to find her patience.

"I mean, that they will try and find a way to get what they want." He looked at her blankly. "…to overthrow the government that caused the famine and debt of their home." She struggled to keep her tone respectful, but her voice came out mostly flat, a tone that she associated with talking to people who were a little low on the IQ side. Her father, his mind elsewhere, completely missed her disrespectful tone, which she was grateful for. She didn't know if she could sit through a lecture about respect when she was a grown woman and no longer living under his roof.

Her father, apparently reaching a conclusion, suddenly straightened in his chair, his eyes wide.

"They could storm the castle!" Isis nodded solemnly before leaning in as if to whisper a secret. This had been the moment she was waiting for, and the servants around them were straining to hear what she had to say. She couldn't have asked for a better moment to plant the seed of paranoia, for the perfect scapegoat for her sudden rise to power.

"Or…they could hire assassins." Her father practically leaped away from her like she was made of fire, fear written all over his face. Isis had to keep from laughing. It was so easy to rile up her father, especially when the circumstances were right. Though, she wondered softly to herself, why hadn't her father thought of this before? It was like he had lost all sense the moment he had given the throne to Luke.

"Assassins?! We must strengthen the guard immediately!" Without even dismissing himself from the conversation, the former Ice King ran out of the dining hall. Isis looked at the food on her plate, shrugged, and calmly began to eat while whispers of anarchy filled the halls.


	10. All Stars Fall

Isis watched as things started to fall into place over the next couple of weeks. Her dad, thoroughly motivated, did just as he said he would do. The castle wall was lined with guards and it seemed like hordes of them patrolled the castle grounds. As she walked through the halls, running into the fifth guard that day, Isis wondered how her father was paying all of these men. After all, wasn't the Ice Kingdom practically bankrupt? She pushed her musings aside as she tracked down her brother. It was late evening and it was her favorite time of the night. The moon was just high enough that the entire Kingdom sparkled like a giant star. It was beautiful and oddly symbolic.

Opening the door of Luke's bedroom, Isis was delighted to see that he had already drank half of the bottle of gin that she had given him an hour ago. As if on cue, she heard Luke throwing up in the bathroom and she smiled softly to herself. There was no way his body could recuperate after such a heavy dosing of poison. It was already running through his veins, each beat of his heart speeding up the process. Her brother stumbled out of the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, swiping his wrist across his mouth to get rid of any stray body fluid.

"Isis…I don't feel so good. I think I drank too much." Isis immediately put on her doting mother persona and rushed over, murmuring soft assurances as she guided him to the bed.

"I'm sure you just need some rest, dear Brother. Just sleep it off. You'll be fine in the morning." He seemed to relax as Isis spoke, as if her words were the very medicine he needed. Isis didn't doubt that Luke thought he would die from alcohol poisoning one day, even the whole kingdom thought so, and he had been right to worry. Though she was sure he didn't imagine it happen quite so literally. Not that he was aware of it.

Luke settled into a deep sleep and Isis brushed a few stray hairs from his face. "Goodnight, Luke. Sweet dreams." She said for appearance purposes before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

It was really too bad that all stars fall.

_**xxXXxx**_

Isis was thankful that it was a known habit of the King to sleep into the late hours of the day. It gave her plenty of time to deal with her father. That morning, Isis tracked down the former King and poked her head inside his study.

"Morning, Father." She said cheerily and her father's face seemed to light up at the sight of her. Isis was shocked at the expression on his face for a few seconds and resisted the urge to look behind her shoulder to see if Luke was there. As she had been growing up, that look on her father's face had only been directed towards Luke. Isis then realized that the tables had turned once again. Luke was now the failure. He had been unable to rule the Kingdom effectively and had lost their father's love and appreciation, but she had obediently gone to the Candy Kingdom for her marriage and ruled a prosperous kingdom. In her father's eyes, she had been the successful child, and therefore, deserved his love. Isis tried to ignore the pleasure that fact brought her. Luke was no longer the favored one. She was.

"Isis! Good morning! What can I do for you today?" He beckoned for her to take a seat and Isis obediently took one.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a ride with me this morning? I haven't ridden with you for so long now…could up indulge me? Pretty please?" Her father smiled and slowly rose to his feet.

"Of course, my little Snowflake. I shall meet you in the stables in a few minutes. I have to gather some guards to travel with us." Isis nodded eagerly and was practically out the door before he had finished his sentence. She heard her father's laughter and smiled to herself. It was exhilarating to know that he didn't even suspect a thing.

"Your Majesty!" A guard called after her and Isis stopped so the man could catch up with her. He seemed out of breath and Isis refrained from wrinkling her nose. How could a guard who couldn't even run down the hall without getting tired protect the castle? Isis made a small mental note to hire a new batch of guards when she was Queen as she patiently waited for the man to relay his message.

"Your Peppermint Maid is here." He told her with a rather pathetic salute. Isis nodded and asked where she was. He pointed down the way he had come and she nodded her head in thanks before walking there. Pepper, looking on edge, was sitting in one of the waiting chairs in the foyer. The old maid fidgeted constantly until she saw Isis, immediately straightening in her seat. Isis had already lost track of how many times Pepper had come to the Ice Kingdom to receive the antidote for the poison that ran through her veins. She also gave her reports of the ongoings of the Candy Kingdom, a likely reason for her to traverse from one kingdom to the next so often. No one questioned Pepper's presence because no one suspected why she was really here. It was beautiful really. Isis loved it.

"Hello, Pepper." She smiled while Pepper just glared up at her. Isis pouted. "Now that's no way to treat your Queen. After all, your life is in my hands." Reaching into the folds of her gown, she pulled out a small vial of liquid the color of lavender. Pepper's eyes widened before she slowly forced herself to smile and address her Queen properly. Isis smiled. "That's a girl. Now, what's going on at the Candy Kingdom?"

Her eyes on the vial, Pepper started to relay the information like her life depended on it. Isis resisted a smirk. It kind of did. "The Candy Kingdom is doing well under Gumball's rule. He has settled any unrest that the subjects have experienced and no one suspects that he is not J.R. Everyone thinks that J.R. has turned over a new leaf and is suddenly interested in the Kingdom and devoted to his wife." She had said this in a soft whisper to prevent anyone from overhearing and Isis nodded along before handing Pepper the antidote.

"Good. Now hurry back to the Candy Kingdom and send J.R. my love. Thank you for being so dedicated to the royal family." Pepper glared at Isis before snatching the vial from Isis's hand and stalking out of the castle doors. Isis laughed before heading off to the stables like she had promised her dad she would do. When she reached the stables, Isis found her father already waiting on her.

"I'm sorry I took so long, Father. Pepper had just arrived and I didn't want to keep her waiting when she had traveled so far to relay a message." Her father nodded amiably.

"No worries, Snowflake. Would you like to ride Skye?" He gestured towards her mare and Isis beamed.

"Of course! Lets go!" She was delighted that her horse, and her father's, had already been saddled, so they were on the trail in a matter of minutes. Besides her and her father, there were six people riding. He had gathered four guards to escort them on their trip. Isis kept up conversation with all of them as they rode, her eyes glancing up at the trees every so often. She did it often enough that her father questioned her about it.

Isis just laughed it off, saying that she was just nervous, remembering all the stories her servants had told her to keep her from running off into the forest. As they were all comparing stories, they ran into a body.

"Hold!" Her father called and they all stopped. The former King slid off his horse, as did the guards, before they all walked over to the corpse. "Isis, stay on Skye." Her father called out and Isis nodded warily, gripping Skye's reins tightly. This hadn't been part of the plan. What was going on?

Her father and the guards were examining the body when people seemed to materialize from the tree foliage. Understanding dawned on Isis as she saw the assassins and she turned to her father. "Father! Look—" An assassin jumped from the tree and knocked her off her horse. Isis fell hard as the other assassins leaped out of the trees and descended upon the group.

Her father, looking up at her warning, saw Isis fall and then drew his sword with a cry of outrage. The guards did the same as they began to combat the intruders. They fought valiantly but they were clearly outmatched. The guards were dispatched quickly and her father was slowly backing up towards Isis as they edged closer to him.

"Isis, get up and get on Skye. Ride back to the kingdom and tell everyone what happened here. I'll hold them—" He stopped midsentence as a searing pain erupted from his back. He saw white as he staggered forward. He knew the mark had hit home for the blade had missed bone, sliding between the ribs of his rib cage and piercing his organs. It was a mortal wound, without question.

"I-Isis…get…out of here…" He craned his head to where Isis had fallen but saw nothing. Where had she gone? He cried out in pain as the assassin twisted the blade to finish the job. He fell to the ground and looked up at his attacker, gasping when he saw Isis standing over him with a triumphant smile, blood dripping from her hands. "Isis! How could…" His eyes lost their life as the words died in his mouth. Kneeling, Isis closed her father's eyes and kissed her father's temple.

"I'm sorry Father, but it had to be done." It was true. There was no way she could ascend to the throne when Luke was gone without her father interfering. He would want to be placed back onto the throne while trying to find another male heir and Isis couldn't let that happen. She had to be the one to save her home. It was her destiny.

Isis got to her feet and the assassins circled her. She cocked a hand on her hip and stared them down before they slowly fell into line in front of her. "Thank you." Isis told them before yanking the knife out of her father's back. "You have done well, and I thank you for your service." She walked towards them, going through the motion of sheathing her knife when the assassins began to bow towards her. Seizing the opportunity, Isis then slit the throats of the men before her. The three men fell to the ground as Isis sheathed her blade without cleaning it. She couldn't afford to leave loose ends and those men were the only people who knew what had really happened here. Isis then mounted her horse and galloped back to the Kingdom as if her life depended on it.

Reaching the castle, Isis, hidden, slashed the top of her thigh and nicked her head with the blade along her hair line so blood seemed to gush down her face. She then staggered out into the open and up the castle steps. Servants and guards, seeing her, immediately set into a panic, taking her inside while blockading the castle. Isis made herself rigid and acted frightened, screaming and kicking when people tried to pick her up.

"The poor girl. She's traumatized." One said.

" Grab her legs and arms!" Another said gruffly. She had knocked someone in the head, Isis absently wondered if that had been the person the second voice belonged to.

She was brought to her room and refused to speak. Her eyes were wide as she huddled in a corner in her room, utterly convinced that the assassins would come get her. She brandished her knife and slashed at anyone that came near. Eventually, people left her alone so she could recover, assuming the worst since she had come back alone.

A couple hours later they discovered that Luke was dead.


	11. Too Many Loose Ends

Eventually Isis pretended to calm down enough to be examined. They quickly cleaned her up and led her to the throne room. She had changed from her riding clothes into a slim gown. The servants, not knowing what else to do, placed the shell-shocked girl on the King's throne.

"Isis…Your Majesty…" Gunther, Luke's advisor, choked on his words, his eyes brimming with tears of loss. He had been like a second father to her for years, and Isis was sure that the deaths of her brother and father would have hurt him as much as they should have hurt her. "I don't know how to tell you this…but, the King…both of them, they are dead." Isis just stared at Gunther and didn't respond. "Isis?" He reached out hesitantly and grasped her hand as tears began to cascade down her face. She only stared and after a long moment, Gunther pulled her into a loving embrace when she began to sob. He gestured for the remaining servants to leave the room and only spoke when they were gone.

"I know Isis, it's hard, but we have to get through this. The Kingdom…there's no one to rule. You're going to have to take their place." Isis only sobbed harder as he held her at arm's length, his expression sad. "I'm sorry Isis, but you're our only hope. We need you." Gunther stroked her hair and consoled her for a long time as Isis cried until she ran out of tears. He wiped them away with a caring hand, his face somber. "Will you do it Isis? Will you rule the Ice Kingdom in your brother's stead?" Isis nodded remotely and Gunther seemed to relax as if she had lifted a great weight off his shoulders. In a way, she probably had, for she had made his job of finding another ruler incredibly easy. After more consoling comments, Gunther escorted her back to her room where Isis was finally left alone. She flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, a slow smile slowly spreading across her face.

She had done it!

In days time she was going to be the Queen of the Ice Kingdom! Her coronation was to take place in three days. Isis couldn't believe her luck! She thought she would have to plead her case to become the next ruler, but the Ice Kingdom was desperate enough to make her the next ruler, even if she was female. Isis had to keep herself from laughing. Things couldn't be more perfect! She gleefully hugged her pillow to her chest as she daydreamed about her coronation. It would be so different with her the one being crowned. All she could remember about Luke's coronation was the sadness she felt that it wasn't her being made Queen. Everything else had been a blur.

At the thought of Luke she sobered. She had to remember why she had done all this in the first place. She couldn't end up like her brother and run her home into the ground. No, she needed to save her Kingdom, not destroy it. Isis sat up in her bed and wandered over to her desk where a pen and paper waited. The rest of her day was spent thinking up plans to save her Kingdom from all the destruction her brother had caused.

Her coronation had been a wonderful event. It was a day that she would always remember and she finally had the Crown! The moment it was placed on her head she felt centuries of power flow through her veins. All her ancestors had been ordered to place their powers and knowledge into the Crown for future users. Without even picking up a spell book, Isis could recall spells that she had never even seen before by thinking of a problem she needed solved by magic. It was amazing! That day Pepper had traveled to the Kingdom again to receive her antidote. Isis gave her the antidote and sent Pepper on her way to tell Gumball that she was to stay in the Ice Kingdom because she had been asked to rule in her brother's stead due to his horrible reign. It wasn't entirely a lie. It was true, she just didn't mention that she had murdered her brother in order to ascend to the throne.

Isis ruled the kingdom for four years. In that short amount of time she had raised the Ice Kingdom to the height of prosperity. She had urged the Candy Kingdom, which she ruled as well, to send in more soldiers to battle off the Fire Kingdom and set limits to the trading rights that the Candy Kingdom was entitled to. With that, economy began to flow into the Kingdom and people were able to prosper again. Food was not a rarity anymore and people could hunt without fear of being molested by the Candy Kingdom soldiers. Her home was rich and abundant again and Isis was living the dream, but all dreams come to an end.

Gumball, a faithful husband and lover, waited patiently for Isis to return. He missed her dearly and was sad that she had to stay in the Ice Kingdom for so long, but he knew that it was necessary. He understood the situation and they communicated all the time due to Pepper's almost constant trips to the Ice Kingdom. He had always been curious as to why Pepper made so many trips, but no matter how many times he asked, Pepper would not divulge the information. One day, Pepper approached him though. She was sweaty and nervous and her eyes darted around the room constantly. Concerned, Gumball stood from his chair, his eyes worried. With Isis being gone, they had become friends, and she was a loyal subject, it was only natural for him to be concerned.

"Pepper, what's wrong?" He asked as he took her hand and guided her to a chair. Pepper sank gratefully into the plush cushions and leaned back against them, closing her eyes. "Pepper?" He prodded gently with his voice before disappearing into his bathroom to get a wet cloth. He returned and gently dabbed her forehead. Her hand suddenly shot out with the tenacity and speed of a snake's strike and latched onto his wrist. She opened her eyes and stared at him unseeingly. Her voice, usually chipper and carefree, was void of any emotion as she spoke to him.

"Gumball….J.R. was murdered…" Gumball frowned and continued to wipe her forehead with the rag. He was concerned. Pepper seemed to have forgotten that J.R. had been killed long ago, that they had all agreed to keep his death a secret to avoid the unrest of an entire kingdom.

"Yes, Pepper," he said softly, humoring her, but Pepper impatiently swatted his hand away. It was a pathetic attempt, but Gumball stopped like she wanted him to. "J.R. is dead. He's been dead for four years now." Pepper groaned and tried to speak again but it seemed like she couldn't speak for some reason. He peered closer at the old maid. It looked like it took her a lot of effort to tell him anything when she had been just fine a few minutes earlier. Gumball then remembered a similar situation when Pepper had forgotten to go to the Ice Kingdom. She had been sweaty and fatigued, but talking hadn't been a problem. What was going on?

"J.R. killed…by…Is…" Pepper started coughing violently, so hard that she coughed blood into her hand. Alarmed, Gumball stood up to find help but Pepper grasped his hand to stop him. "Is…Isis. She…did it." Pepper's arm dropped and she fainted, exhausted from some unknown exertion. Aside from her fitful breathing, the room was silent as Gumball stared at the maid. Isis? Isis had killed J.R.? Why? Gumball's face darkened as he remembered all the times she had come to him battered and bruised from J.R.'s recent tirade. _Okay, it's not hard to think of a reason_, he thought to himself, but that didn't justify that she had killed someone, and the Isis he had known would never had done that no matter what. The marriage had changed her, and even when they had been together Isis had been different. All her actions had been off, as if she had been going through the motions of being with him. Yes, they had been happy, the happiest they had been in their lives, but Isis's mind always seemed to be somewhere else. Or rather, in another Kingdom.

Gumball knew about Isis's ambitions. They had talked about ways for her to become Queen of the Ice Kingdom, though all of them had been outrageous and never taken seriously. It had gotten to the point where Gumball had thought Isis didn't really want to become Queen, that she had created a lie for them to start talking to each other. Despite the shocking news Pepper had just delivered, Gumball found himself smiling at the memory where Isis suddenly appeared in the stables announcing that she would be the next Queen and he would have to do her bidding. She had looked adorable and Gumball knew then that, even if she wasn't Queen someday, he would follow her to the ends of the earth. But now the memory was tainted, shadowed by Isis's very real ambition to do anything to become Queen. Had she really done it? Would he take the word of a maid over his one true love? Gumball gazed at Pepper who was finally stirring and he felt shame.

Pepper wasn't a maid. She was his friend, and it wasn't long ago that he had been a servant. He berated himself lightly. He still was! He just had the title of King, just like Isis wasn't really his wife. Pepper slowly woke to the concerned face of her friend and she smiled up at him. "Now…now you know." Gumball nodded and wiped her forehead again. Pepper didn't bat him away this time and he grasped her hand tightly. Could Pepper really be right? Had Isis killed J.R.? Was she really capable of such an act?

"Pepper? Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Like, four years ago earlier?"

"Isis…cast some sort of spell. I'm not even supposed to be able to talk about _it_." She paused. "I wonder why I can talk about it now?" As if one revelation gave her the courage to reveal it all, she told Gumball how Isis had poisoned her and how the new Ice Queen had orchestrated the whole thing. All Gumball could do was listen because he was afraid that if he did anything else it would make all that he was hearing real. He couldn't believe it. There was just no way.

Isis would never do such things.


	12. And it All Falls Apart

"Traitor!"

"Treason!"

"_Murderer_!"

Isis woke up in a jumble of covers, wrapped up so tight that she could hardly breathe. It was that dream again. It plagued her every night to the point that she no longer looked forward to sleep. She dreaded the end of the day because it meant sleep would take her once again. Isis shuddered from the after-effects of the dream, forced to relive it again even though she was awake. It replayed in her mind as she pushed away the covers.

Isis had been in the throne room looking over a treaty that would forever bring peace between all of the Kingdoms. It was her greatest accomplishment as Queen, something that hadn't been done in centuries, when there was a loud pounding on her door. Without knowing why, Isis would suddenly feel frightened, and was rightfully so because the doors would burst open with all of her subjects rushing inside. They bore flaming torches and pitchforks as they rushed towards her, murderous hate in their eyes. They shouted horrible things and, despite her protests, roughly seized her and lead her deep into the castle.

They took her to different places every time.

Sometimes she was thrown into some sort of spiked pit or hung in the dungeons. One time she had been stabbed thirty two times, drowning in her own blood as life clung to her like a disease. Sometimes her deaths were quick, but too often they were slow and painful. Isis would wake up from her fitful sleeps in a panic, disoriented from her latest nightmare. Eventually, she got used to the nightmares, even expected them. Isis didn't know why she was having these dreams. Was she guilty? Maybe, but Isis had already made peace with her decision. Or she thought she had.

_I did what I had to do to save my Kingdom_! Isis thought fiercely to herself as she got out of bed to get dressed. It was in the middle of the night but she needed fresh air. She couldn't be cooped up in this room anymore tonight. Isis found herself wandering the halls until she ended up outside. The air was crisp and cool. Isis had to wrap the robe tighter across her small frame to battle the chill. As she walked, her breath rose in small clouds and the night was silent aside from the crunch of ice beneath her bare feet. Everyone was asleep. Or, almost everyone. Isis shook her head, surprised at herself. Why was she letting dreams get to her? Feeling silly, Isis turned to go back inside when she almost ran into a pale faced Gunther.

"Gunther!?" She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. Isis had no idea how on edge she was until just then. "You scared me!" Isis, feeling something was wrong, peered closer at her friend. "Gunther…? What's wrong?" A feeling of dread washed over her and she had a sudden flash of her dream.

"Did you do it?" He whispered softly, his hand trembling. She saw that he held a piece of paper, clutching it so tightly that his knuckles were bone white. Isis, knowing what he meant, stayed silent as she stared at her advisor. His trembling started to spread until the man was shaking all over. "Did. You. Do. It!?" He shouted, taking a menacing step towards her. Isis glared at him coolly.

"Regain your composure Gunther." She warned softly which only enraged him more. His shout rang throughout the castle and Isis was thankful that what he asked had been incredibly vague.

"Regain my—" Gunther, furious beyond belief, took a step back and ran a hand over his face. He took deep, shaky breaths before he spoke again. "Did you really kill them, Your Majesty?" He asked softly as tears leaked down his face. Her silence had been answer enough.

"It was the only way to save the Kingdom." She said simply and Gunther shook his head sadly.

"You were always so single-minded, Isis. There were plenty of other ways to save your home. You just took the one that would put you on the throne, just like you always wanted." He said sadly before he turned to walk away. Isis waved a hand and Gunther's feet froze into place, encased in blocks of ice. He looked back at her, shocked, and Isis laughed cruelly.

"Did you really think I was just going to let you walk away when you know what I did?" She asked slowly as if talking to an ignorant child. Gunther slowly shook his head at her and Isis suddenly felt like the ignorant one. What had she missed? Isis then suddenly paled and leaned against the castle wall for support, her legs suddenly too weak to hold up her weight.

"The letter carriers!" She breathed as realization dawned on her. Long ago, to keep up the act that 'assassins' were trying to kill the royal family, she had created a law that all letters sent through the kingdom had to be opened and read to look for any treasonous remarks or plans. Unless messages had been sent directly to her, all of the letters that go through the kingdom were read without exception. That meant the letter that Gunther clutched so desperately had already been read by a good number of servants.

And servants were such good gossips.

She had used that to her own advantage four years ago when she started the rumor of assassins. By noon tomorrow the whole Kingdom would know of what she did. She would be killed! Or…Isis moaned and slid down to the ground, her back against the wall.

She could be banished to the Ice Mountains. A punishment worse than death.

Now it was Gunther's turn to laugh and Isis could only glare at him. There was nothing she could do. Even if she killed all the letter carriers on duty this morning, there was no telling how many people had already been told her secret.

"Figures your own law would be your undoing." He sneered and Isis snarled soundlessly at him before getting to her feet.

"I am still your Queen, and you will be punished for your insolence, _servant_!" Isis spat and stormed over to him. With a rough hand she yanked his head back by his hair and violently scratched his exposed throat. Blood seeped from the wounds as she chanted a long spell. As she spoke, Gunther's form began to change. When she was finished, a polar bear stood in his place. Isis frowned.

"Huh. I meant a penguin. No matter." She waved a hand over his face and Gunther froze. "No matter what happens, you will forever be loyal to me. Where I go, you go, and you will live and feel whatever torments I suffer for my misdeeds." Isis waved her hand again and Gunther could finally move, the binding of the spell gone. She stared coldly down at the animal before her. "Your new name is Rehtung, so no one will know who you really are." Isis told him before walking back to her bed chambers. Rehtung obediently followed, though it was more of a compulsion than free will, and Isis went back to bed to put off the horrors she would have to face on the morrow.

The next morning Isis woke to a pounding on her door. Thinking that she was still dreaming, Isis didn't even move until the sound of her doors bursting open jolted her awake.

"Isis Amitarili, you are under arrest for treason!" A voice boomed and then everything went black.

_**xxXXxx**_

She woke up outside tied up. She was on her feet, slumped between two wooden poles. She was tied to them by her wrists so that her arms lifted above her head. Her shoulders ached so Isis knew that she had been there for quite some time. The sunlight made her squint as she stared at the crowd gathered before her. Everyone in the Ice Kingdom had come to see their Queen. They stared at her with hate in their eyes and Isis raised her chin in silent defiance and a last stab at dignity. She was still their Queen and refused to look weak in front of them. As she shuffled to her feet, the same booming voice from earlier started to call out her charges. She looked up to see the Captain of the Guard standing before her. For the life of her Isis could not remember his name.

"Isis Amitarili! You are being charged with treason for the murders of King J.R. and Jack and Luke Amitarili! For your crimes, you will receive forty lashings and will be banished to the Ice Mountains!" Isis closed her eyes in acceptance. She knew that they would banish her. Death would be too easy for her. "Do you have any last words before your punishment is carried out?" It was more of a courtesy than anything else. When Isis moved to say something she was back-handed by the executioner. She was not permitted to speak for she was known for her persuasive words. In a matter of moments Isis could have them releasing her free of charge. Isis spat blood to the ground.

The Captain was smart.

He nodded to the executioner and the masked man moved behind her, unhooking the whip from his belt. Two men then moved towards her and untied the flimsy white material that was a pathetic excuse of a dress. It fell to the ground, leaving her naked and vulnerable. Isis kept her head raised as one of the men, after an appraising look at her nude form, gave her a piece of rounded wood to bite on. Before it was placed in her mouth she could see the many indentations from the people before her who had received lashings for previous crimes. It was bloody and cracked. Isis briefly thought that if she didn't die from the lashings she would die from all the bacteria on that tiny piece of wood.

Biting down on the piece of wood, Isis couldn't help the tremble that passed through her body. Her body knew that she was going to experience a great deal of pain and she was afraid, but that was the only sign she showed as the whip descended upon her bare flesh. Pain exploded from her back. She could feel the flesh rip and tear from the lash of the whip and her knees buckled, but she didn't scream. She refused to.

"One!"

Isis moaned loudly. How was she supposed to endure thirty nine more?

After the first ten, Isis felt a slow sense of detachment begin to envelope her. The pain no longer affected her and she felt numb. Rehtung roared in the background, feeling each lash that landed on her back. Eventually, Isis lost count and her vision blurred and her hearing dulled. Nothing else registered but the dull beating against her back. Her arms were on fire for they held all her weight since her legs had buckled long ago.

Isis didn't know when she passed out, but when she woke up she was tossed outside of the Ice Kingdom at the edge of the forest that separated her home from the Candy Kingdom. She had been unconscious long enough for her wounds to scab over and it was painful to move. Rehtung nudged her face with a cold, wet nose and whined worriedly. Isis groaned and pushed his face away. He snorted and Isis glared at him.

"Don't act all offended. You just don't want me to die because you'll die too!" She snapped before struggling to get to her feet. Her limbs felt like lead and every move felt like her back was on fire. Eventually she managed to stand on her own, with the help of Rehtung, and looked back at her home. She could see her castle sparkling in the distance. Isis wondered who would rule now. There was no heir to take the throne now that she was the only remaining royal of the Amitarili family. Rehtung whined again and she absently patted his head. Deep down Isis knew that she would have been discovered eventually. At least the Ice Kingdom had been restored to its former glory, the only thing she had wanted to accomplish when she ruled. Four years was a short reign, but she had achieved what she wanted to do.

A rustle in the bushes caught her attention and a guard from the Ice Kingdom scrambled out holding a bundle. Isis immediately went on the defensive but quickly realized she had no weapons. She barely had any clothes. All she had was that pathetic excuse of a dress from her lashings. It left her entire back bare and she didn't want to think about how breezy it felt back there. The guard straightened when he saw here before bowing deeply. Isis watched him warily. What game was he playing?

"Your Majesty, no…Isis, I will forever be thankful for what you did for our Kingdom. Because of you, I was able to get a job and feed my family." He finally lifted his head and held out the bundle to her. It was hastily wrapped with what looked like the remains of a burlap sack and tied with rope. Isis didn't move and Rehtung growled a warning, but the man continued to hold out the bundle. "I mean no harm!" He told her with a pleading tone, begging her to believe him. Isis and the polar bear shared a look before she hesitantly reached out a hand to grab the bundle. Inside there was her royal blue gown that she wore to her coronation, matching shoes, and her crown.

Wait.

Her crown!?

She held it up in awe and gazed at the three rubies that glinted harmlessly in the early noon light. "Why…? How…?" Isis couldn't understand. Why was he giving her the crown? With it she had all of her magic back. She looked back towards the castle. She could take her Kingdom back.

"It doesn't work there anymore." The guard said as if he had read her mind. Isis tore her eyes away from the sparkling castle and faced him, confused.

"What?"

"The crown. It doesn't work within the Ice Kingdom anymore. It was stripped of its magical properties and now it's just a normal crown." A sly grin appeared on his face and Isis took a closer look at the headpiece in her hand. Thinking of a minor spell, she watched in awe as small snowflakes started to dance around her hand that held the crown. It still worked! She looked over at the grinning guard and took a step back, fear gripping her throat. Who was this man? He just told her that the crown had been stripped of its magical properties…but then why could it work at all? "Now, the contract wasn't particularly binding, they just told me to make it so that you can't use your powers against the Ice Kingdom, so…Like I said, you can't use it in the Ice Kingdom. You're powerless there, but you can use it _outside_ of the Ice Kingdom." Isis took another step back. Pain might've made her a bit slow on the uptake, but she knew she wasn't dealing with a simple castle guard.

"Who _are_ you?" Isis whispered and the man just grinned as he faded into the trees.

"No one of importance. Just consider my debt to you repaid." Isis clutched the crown to her chest and looked around in vain for the man, but he had disappeared. Who was that guy? Why was he so grateful? Obviously what he had said before had been a lie…but then why go through the charade? _Maybe to gain my trust first. If he had shown me the crown initially I would have ran._ Isis nodded along with this thought process as she donned her clothing carefully. Although the gown was bulky, it was nice to be in proper clothing again.

With one last look at the trees, Isis mounted Rehtung and started to guide him back to the Candy Kingdom. She couldn't help but feel that she had somehow gained a powerful ally.

When she reached the Candy Kingdom, Isis dismounted the giant polar bear slowly. She winced when her back complained, but refused to let others know of her ordeal. She kept her back straight as she walked, climbing the steps to the doors only to be met by guards. The banana guards crossed their pikes and barred her from entering.

"W-What is this!? I am your Queen! You have to let me through!" She stammered, indignant at such treatment. She couldn't help but remember how she was treated hours earlier in her own Kingdom. The similarities were staggering and she felt the same ball of dread forming in the pit of her stomach. Her past was catching up at her at an alarming rate, too fast for it to be a coincidence.

"You're not Queen here anymore." A solemn voice reached her and her heart caught. She would know that voice from anywhere. She turned to face Gumball and her eyes filled with tears despite her best efforts.

"What do you mean? Of course I am…" Gumball was already shaking his head and Isis took a step back and almost tumbled back down the stairs.

"I know what you did, Isis. At first, I just couldn't believe that you would do such a thing…" Isis wasn't sure what he said next. She had started hyperventilating, the blood pounding so hard in her ears that it drowned out everything else. All she could focus on was her mounting fear. How could he have known? Who had told? There was no way he could have known about her family!

"I only killed them because—"

"Them? Who's 'them?' I was talking about…Oh no, Isis no! Please tell me you didn't!" Isis couldn't look at him. She could hear the shock and disgust in his voice. Maybe he would have forgiven her about J.R., but not for Luke and her father. He had loved them like family for they had taken him in when no one else would.

Isis sank to her knees and put her head in her hands. She wept openly in the silence that unfolded between them. For the first time she felt shame for what she had done. Gunther's words rang in her mind: '_You were always so single-minded. There were plenty of other ways to save your home.' _Nothing would ever be the same. Gumball…he would never love her again for what she had done. She could hear the finality in his voice, see the determination in his stance. He would refuse to love her even if he hurt himself in the process. He was always so noble, so just. Something she had always admired in him.

"I don't even know who you are anymore." The sentence hung in the silence as Isis lay in a heap on the ground, her sobs pathetic and diminished. He had stood patiently, waiting for her to finish, to strike that final blow. It felt like a knife had been thrust straight into her heart and cruelly twisted. She finally lifted her head from the ground and looked up at the man she still loved. "The Isis I knew was kind, sweet, and loved her family!" Isis then, despite everything, smiled. She slowly got to her feet and held her head high, reclaiming whatever dignity she had left.

"Then you didn't know me at all." Gumball took a step back, his face looking hurt before it regained its hardness. He chose to ignore her revelation and pointed to the exit of the Candy Kingdom.

"Isis, for your crimes, you are banished from this land! You are no longer welcome here! Leave at once!" His hand trembled, though in rage or regret she wasn't sure. Isis felt the anger boil up inside her. She stood unmoving before him and crossed her arms in front of her, laughing.

"Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten your place? You aren't the real King! J.R. is dead and you're just a fraud!" She sneered at him and Gumball faltered only for a second.

"Everyone knows Isis, but they still chose me to rule over you! No one wants a traitorous Queen capable of murder on the throne. Leave now, Isis. Don't make me use force!" Isis could only stare. She had been overthrown here as well? She was being banished by someone who didn't have an ounce of royal blood in his veins? Anger soon became indignant rage as she started to tremble violently, her fury begging to be unleashed.

"How _dare_ you! I _made_ you! You _belong_ to me!" Isis shrieked, balling her hands into fists to keep herself from using magic against Gumball. Even now she couldn't bring herself to hurt him, to defend the Kingdom that was rightfully hers. Her heart still beat only for him, something that would never change. Gumball's careful composure finally slipped and he looked away, but not fast enough, for she saw the pain and regret in his eyes.

"Leave, Isis. Please." Stifling a sob, Isis mounted Rehtung and turned to leave the Candy Kingdom forever. She heard a gasp from Gumball and Isis looked back over her shoulder. Gumball had his eyes fastened on her back. No doubt her wounds had opened and had bloodied the back of her dress, revealing that she had been whipped for her crimes. Gumball kept silent though as he watched her leave the Candy Kingdom and begin the trek that would take her to the Ice Mountains.

"The Ice Mountains were horrible!" Isis lamented to no one in particular as she continued her story, "There was no life and I had to make my home within one of the mountains to avoid freezing to death. Everything's made of ice! But my torment didn't stop there. Gumball plagued my dreams every night—"

"Yo! Ice Queen! Does this story have a point?" Fionna cut in, daring to look bored as she told her life story.

Isis brought herself to her full height and looked down at the petulant teenager before her. She pointed a finger at a sad looking Gumball and declared her intention to all of her audience.

"I've come to claim what is mine!"


End file.
